The leaked audio of LA City Council members has already led to two of the four people caught on tape to resign but two others continue to hold out. Gil Cedillo and Kevin de Leon are both fighting for their jobs even though the pressure on them hasn’t let up. Today, acting Los Angeles City Council President Mitch O’Farrell announced that both Cedillo and de Leon had been removed from committee assignments.

O’Farrell says he has removed Councilmen Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo from their committee assignments.

In a news conference Monday morning, O’Farrell said there is no news on whether either of the councilmen will resign their seats over their participation in a racially charged, recorded conversation from October 2021 that has already led to the resignation of Nury Martinez from her council seat.

O’Farrell says he hasn’t spoken to Councilman Kevin de León since last Tuesday “despite my best efforts,” but he is urging him again Monday to resign, and has passed along the message that he should not attend any future council meetings.

The next city council meeting takes place tomorrow but it’s being held virtually after two members of the council came down with COVID in the past week. Council member Mike Bonin, who was the focus of the comments in the leaked audio tested positive after last week’s meeting where he spoke about the recording and called on all four fellow members of the council to resign. Councilman Paul Krekorian has also tested positive. Nevertheless, some activists see the decision to hold virtual meetings this week as a way to avoid angry responses from residents.

Activists, who shut down last week’s meeting with protests, have blasted O’Farrell for calling virtual gatherings this week, saying it’s a move to avoid protesters who have vowed to disrupt council meetings until Councilman Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo resign.

Yesterday, a spokesman for Cedillo described him as being “at a place of reflection.”

UPDATE: a spokesman for Councilmember Gil Cedillo says he is “at a place of reflection” and unavailable to comment if he plans to attend City Council amid calls for his resignation. On Friday, acting Council President Mitch O’Farrell moved Tuesday’s meeting online. pic.twitter.com/Ex0YrNMhCF

— Kate Cagle (@KateCagle) October 16, 2022

I guess that’s progressive speak for desperately hoping he can ride this storm out somehow. As for Kevin de Leon, he has also been trying to carry on as usual but it hasn’t been working very well for him. Here was the scene last week when he showed up for the city council meeting. (Note: Lots of of NSFW language.)

KEVIN DE LEON IS HERE!!!

RESIGN KEVIN!! GET THE FUCK OUT KEVIN! #ResignKDL pic.twitter.com/Xi4oPKk0tN

— People’s City Council – Los Angeles (@PplsCityCouncil) October 11, 2022

If that wasn’t enough, over the weekend a group of protesters showed up at his house early in the morning, making noise and shining lights in his windows.

NOTICE OF MAJOR CLEANING: Kevin De Leon is getting a wake up call this morning since he still hasn’t decided to resign. Looks like LA SAN and crew are here to give him the same treatment that our Unhoused neighbors get in his district everyday pic.twitter.com/YHFQnZVVAl

— People’s City Council – Los Angeles (@PplsCityCouncil) October 15, 2022

On Sunday morning, Black Lives Matter protesters showed up and set up a tent camp outside his home. Regular readers know I don’t have a lot of love for BLM but in this case the protesters absolutely have a point. Someone who ignores racist language used in reference to a black child doesn’t belong on the LA City Council. And de Leon didn’t just ignore that he participated in it.

RT @PplsCityCouncil: .@BLMLA got 25 Black people yelling outside Kevin de Leon’s house right now and they letting KDL know to ease on down, ease on down the road! #ResignKDL #25Blacks https://t.co/Em11a8ZYKB pic.twitter.com/VZrs13ADiu

— LA Progressive (@LAProgressive) October 16, 2022

Rise and shine. @blmla embarks on first full day of 24/7 encampment in front of LA Councilmember Kevin de Leon’s Eagle Rock home. LAPD is keeping a close watch. pic.twitter.com/QySJQBJnXo

— Proud Member of The Blacks (@Jasmyne) October 16, 2022

Activists are camping outside of Kevin De Leon’s house until he resigns pic.twitter.com/bdsBhbELdw

— Notorious TDB (@TinaDesireeBerg) October 17, 2022

Today the LAPD are out making sure protesters maintain required distance from de Leon’s home. Again, I don’t like protests at people’s homes even if it’s impossible to feel sorry for de Leon.

How is the @LAPDHQ spending your 8 million dollars today? Harassing @BLMLA’s 24/7 encampment outside of Kevin de Leon’s house.

Pigs came out to measure if we were 300 feet from KDL’s house despite telling us where we could stage our protest the first night we pulled up pic.twitter.com/6nuX1G2RWR

— People’s City Council – Los Angeles (@PplsCityCouncil) October 17, 2022

I’m not sure why either Cedillo or de Leon think they can ride this out. As I mentioned last week, de Leon is a bigwig in the California Democratic Party. Before he got elected to the LA City Council he was the President of the State Senate. I suspect he thought he had a long future in either city or state politics. But it’s hard to see how he could survive this. At this point, he’s not even saying anything publicly in his own defense.