A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has ruled that a married couple broke the law when they secretly recorded and released the contents of a meeting between members of the city council.
The infamous 2021 meeting featured racist diatribes and discussions about power jockeying through redistricting. The recording eventually led to the resignations of former Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera and Nury Martinez, who was then serving as Council President.
Councilmember Kevin de León, who was also part of the meeting, later sued the leakers of the audio, Santos Leon and Karla Vasquez. The couple argued that they were protected by anti-SLAPP laws, which are aimed at safeguarding free speech.
The judge disagreed, writing: SLAPP "cannot be invoked by a defendant whose assertedly protected activity is illegal as a matter of law and, for that reason, not protected by constitutional guarantees of free speech and petition."
No charges have been filed in the case, but City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto said the matter remains under review.
De León is up for re-election in November.