Explained: The sex scandal that is threatening the appointment of US envoy to India
The nomination of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti as the US ambassador to India could face further delay as a top Republican Senator has sought to put the matter on hold due to a pending investigation into complaints of sexual harassment against his adviser, Rick Jacobs.
File image of Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti, a close aide of President Joe Biden, will replace Kenneth Juster if he is confirmed as US envoy to India. AP
The nomination of Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti as the US ambassador to India could face a further delay as a top Republican senator has sought to put the matter on hold due to a pending investigation into complaints of sexual harassment against his adviser, Rick Jacobs.
As per a letter obtained by Politico, Republican Senator Charles Grassley has asked Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to delay Garcetti’s nomination until an investigation into the alleged scandal is concluded against Jacobs.
“The United States owes it to the Republic of India to send them a qualified Ambassador that will represent the values of the United States,” Grassley said in the documents sent to McConnell on Thursday to notify the Senate.
Grassley added that new information has emerged that suggests that the investigation conducted by mayor Garcetti’s office was “incomplete at best”. It also looks into an allegation against Garcetti of lying to a US Congressional committee about Jacobs’ alleged behaviour.
In January this year, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee had confirmed the nomination of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to be US ambassador to India. However, the nomination needed to be confirmed by a majority of the US Senate.
Who is Rick Jacobs and what is the sexual harassment case impeding Garcetti’s appointment as US envoy to India:
Sexual harassment case against Rick Jacobs
Mayor Garcetti and Rick Jacobs have been associated with each other at least since 2013. Jacobs has held many positions under Garcetti, including his deputy chief of staff, communications director, and political aide.
In 2020, Jacob was first accused by Los Angeles Police Department {LAPD} officer Matthew Garza, who was one of Garcetti’s bodyguards. Garza laid sexual assault charges against Jacobs.
As per a report by LA Times, Garza accused Jacobs of touching him inappropriately, making crude comments and giving unwanted hugs between 2014 and 2019.
According to Intelligencer, the LAPD officer accused Garcetti of being aware of Jacobs’ behaviour and turning a blind eye to it.
In February 2021, another of Garcetti’s employees emerged with more information against Jacobs. Henry Casas, who was a public-engagement director for Garcetti from 2013 to 2018, testified that he had seen Jacobs harassing Garza.
He said that Jacobs would also give him shoulder massages.
“I definitely got hugged. You know, pretty much, you know, my biceps would get grabbed, right, squeezed. Every now and then, you know, I might be sitting down, he’d be behind me and do a — like a quick massage,” Casas said, according to a transcript of the deposition obtained by the LA Times.
After Casas’ testimony, Garcetti said that if he were made aware of such behaviour, he would have taken action against Jacobs, who denied Garza’s claims, terming them “a work of fiction”.
The list of victims increased when journalist Yashar Ali came forward and accused Jacobs of giving him unwanted kisses on the lips between 2005 and 2015.
“The incidents where Jacobs would forcibly kiss me always happened in front of others and at political and social functions. Jacobs would grab my face and kiss me on the lips—always twice—and he would turn to other people who witnessed it and say, ‘He has the softest lips’.” Ali wrote on his blog.
Garcetti’s involvement and alleged lies
As a part of his nomination process, Garcetti was grilled by Republican Senators last December in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
When the committee raised concerns about the accusation against Jacobs and that Garcetti “did not respond to those complaints in a way that could have stopped the behaviour”, the mayor said he had never witnessed any such behaviour, nor was it brought to his attention.
The Foreign Relations Committee in January advanced Garcetti’s nomination, right before non-profit law firm Whistleblower Aid filed the complaint on behalf of Naomi Seligman, a former director of communications for Garcetti.
Seligman accused Jacobs of forcibly kissing her and said that Garcetti knew about Jacobs’ behaviour, thus accusing Garcetti of committing perjury.
Perjury is the act of intentionally telling a falsehood while under oath.
Seligman said she informed the mayor’s former chief of staff Ana Guerrero, who allegedly told her that “no complaints would be tolerated because Mr. Jacobs was important to the mayor”, according to a report by Deadline.
With inputs from agencies
Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,
India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
