Los Angeles Times

LZ Granderson: LA City Council members' recording isn't just offensive. It's also illuminating

Councilman Kevin de Leon, left, and Los Angeles City Council then-President Nury Martinez confer at city council meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022, in Los Angeles.

So … this is the room where it happens. Not nearly as attractive as Aaron Burr described it in "Hamilton." In fact — judging from the leaked audio from a 2021 meeting among Los Angeles City Council members Gil Cedillo, Kevin de León and Nury Martinez — the room where it happens is probably the ugliest place in politics.

But it can also be quite revealing. Here's where things get really uncomfortable. The meeting was about power. The offensive language displays these politicians' thoughts about who

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