The Senate voted on Wednesday to confirm the nomination of embattled former LA mayor Eric Garcetti as ambassador to India after allegations that he had knowledge of assault allegations against his former senior aide and did not took no action.
The final vote was 52-42.
Three Senate Democrats – Sherrod Brown, Ohio, Mark Kelly, Arizona, and Maizie Hirono, Hawaii, all broke with their party and voted against the nominee. The senses. Absent from the vote were Dianne Feinstein, California, a strong Garcetti supporter, and John Fetterman, Pennsylvania.
But seven Republicans voted in favor of Garcetti’s nomination, citing how long the position had been open – Susan Collins, Maine, Todd Young, Ind., Lindsey Graham, SC, Steve Daines, Mont., Roger Marshall, Kansas, Bill Hagerty, Tenn., and Sen. Bill Cassidy, La.
Biden first appointed Garcetti to represent American interests in India in July 2021 and the Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing in December 2021.
The Senate voted on Wednesday to confirm the nomination of embattled former LA mayor Eric Garcetti
His confirmation was cut short after allegations that his former assistant Rick Jacobs sexually harassed four people and Garcetti, aware of the allegations, kept him on staff.
Jacobs denied sexually harassing anyone, and Garcetti denied knowing about the allegations or witnessing any inappropriate behavior.
Seeing their son’s political career fall into hot water, Garcetti’s parents stepped in and paid high-profile lobbyists to steer senators in favor of his confirmation.
Meanwhile, Garcetti’s ex-director of communications ripped into his former boss on CNN ahead of the vote.
“He is unfit to become an ambassador or to hold public office anywhere in this country or in this world,” Naomi Seligman said.
His confirmation was cut short after allegations that his former top aide Rick Jacobs, above, sexually harassed four people and Garcetti, aware of the allegations, kept him on staff
“Unfortunately, the White House put undue pressure on Democrats to vote for Eric Garcetti because Eric Garcetti has been a very, very loyal person to President Biden, and that’s unfortunate,” he said. she told Tapper. “Those senators who claim to support #MeToo can’t just do it when it’s politically expedient. They have to do it when it counts, even if it’s your own political party.
Seligman said he saw Garcetti see his former deputy chief of staff “touching people, kissing people, kissing people.”
“We were in a work environment where sexual harassment and abuse was tolerated, permitted and pervasive. It was as common as checking your texts,” she said. “It was a very harsh, disappointing and toxic environment where Mayor Garcetti allowed, tolerated and at times laughed off the abuses of his chief aide and confidant, Rick Jacobs.”
Jacobs resigned from Garcetti’s staff in 2020 after a lawsuit was filed against him and the city by LAPD officer and former Mayor’s bodyguard Matthew Garza claiming Jacobs made ‘rude sexual remarks’ ” and touched him inappropriately. Garza alleged that Garcetti witnessed the behavior.
Seligman alleged in her own deposition that Jacobs repeatedly harassed her while she worked at City Hall from 2015 to 2017, according to a report from Sen. Chuck Grassley’s office.
She said Jacobs’ conduct included ‘hugs, kisses (and) unwanted sexual comments’, including an instance where Jacobs gave her ‘a prolonged kiss on the lips without her consent in front of several staff members’ .
