Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León stripped of City Council committee posts over racist leak
Council member and mayoral candidate Kevin de León, seen in an early February photo, was stripped of many of his committee assignments last month after a memo from City Solicitor Jose Lopez implicating him in a racist plot went public. Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
The City Council this month stripped four City Council members of office over allegations they leaked confidential council policy to the media. The moves follow those by Mayor Bill de Blasio, City Solicitor Jose Lopez, and Councilman Carlos Menchaca, all of whom were criticized at the time for their actions in leaking confidential information to news organizations, including City Hall reporters David Carlin, Julie Hyman and Paul Vercammen.
Council Speaker Corey Johnson, whose authority is limited to recommending appointments and approving the appointments made by the mayor and the City Council, stripped Menchaca of his committee assignments, including those in the Finance and Committee on Economic Development and Community Affairs, the latter to which he was an incumbent. The committee chair, Councilman Peter Vallone, is also not running for re-election.
The council’s action on De León and Cedillo came after a memo leaked to The New York Times on February 20, which reportedly detailed the involvement of council members Kevin de León, Peter Vallone, Carlos Menchaca and Jose Lopez in a plot to oust Council Speaker Corey Johnson. The leak claimed to have been done by a “white nationalist” and “anti-semitic,” as well as “anti-LGBT.” De León and Lopez were stripped of their committee assignments, while Menchaca retained his in the committee on Community Investment and Economic Development.
New York City Council member Jose De La Torre, whose committee assignments are also in the Finance and Committee on Economic Development and Community Affairs, said he has yet to receive notice of what position
