Councilmember Ysabel Jurado was dishonest to me, to her district, and perhaps everyone around her. This is a vindication for former councilmember Kevin de León.
Jurado ran her campaign saying she was a lawyer, but she is not, according to a statement she made on an Instagram video.
How can a councilmember claim to be a lawyer and intentionally mislead her voters?
Jurado based her campaign against De León on supposedly standing by and doing nothing while racist comments were being made by another member. Now she admits that she lied to thousands of people and wants to claim she is not a lawyer but a counselor.
I interviewed her months ago before the election, and I called her “Chavelita,” a name the Latino community has given her. She told me she was a lawyer and that she would help the community, but now, in her own video, she admits that she’s not a lawyer but a couselor.
Chavelita disappeared from the political map after taking office. All the problems in District 14 seem ignored, and that political activist I interviewed seems absent too. She swore and promised to change her district, that it would be different from Kevin de León’s, she only recently got sworn in, but this incident puts everything she promised in doubt.
“How many people were not affected by her consultations?” says one resident.
“I think this girl is in trouble. Ysabel ran for office as a tenants’ rights attorney. Now she just stated she’s not an attorney. You can’t say you’re an attorney and not be one. You can’t run for office saying you’re an attorney. Not only can this overturn the election, but she could go to jail—it’s called ELECTION FRAUD,” says a post on the Highland Park Nela site.
For me, as a journalist with many years of experience, a lie of this magnitude is an injustice against the community.
Dishonesty does not fit into my definition of a leader. Los Angeles needs strong voices, not people who could be dishonest to your face.
District 14 needs a councilmember who speaks with truth. If she now admits she’s not a lawyer, what’s next?
Chavelita, you were less than honest to your district and the people of LA.
