Newly elected L.A. City Councilmember Imelda Padilla has hired as her district director a former state capitol employee who was found to have engaged in sexual harassment, according to Human Resources Office of the Assembly Rules Committee documents. Mark Lomeli was chief of staff to Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson) at the time of harassment in 2016 — the allegations and findings came to light two years later.
Padilla defeated Marisa Alcaraz in a June special election to become the council member representing District 6. which stretches from Sun Valley west to Lake Balboa in the San Fernando Valley. She came to office promising to restore trust in city government after Nury Martinez resigned the seat following the release of recordings on which she made racist remarks.
Padilla’s office issued a statement in response to questions about the hiring of Lomeli.
“Her understanding is that as a father of 2 daughters, Mr. Lomeli has spent the years following these serious allegations, focused on redemption with both his church, family and professional therapy,” the statement read.
Lomeli did not respond to an emailed request for comment.
A district director typically oversees constituent services and supervises several people in a council office. The role is often the most high-profile public facing member of a council member’s staff.
[Editor’s note: Padilla’s district director immediately before Lomeli is the son of a former LAist editor.]
About the harassment findings
The allegations against Lomeli first surfaced in 2018, two years after the incidents and during the height of the #MeToo movement.
A woman told investigators with the…
Read the full article here