LOS ANGELES Mayor Eric Garcetti endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Thursday, Nov. 5.
“I’m proud to endorse Hillary Clinton for president because I know that she understands the challenges and opportunities facing our cities and will be a powerful leader in building our future,” Garcetti said in an initial endorsement.
But shortly after his announcement came a one-line news release stating that the statement was sent in error.
The original release came from Garcetti’s press office, which is a violation of city ethics rules that govern campaign endorsements. It is against both city and state law to use government staff equipment and time for campaign press releases, including endorsements.
At a Thursday afternoon event in Westwood, Garcetti said the announcement shouldn’t have happened and called it a “boo-boo,” according to Los Angeles Daily News.
Bill Carrick, Garcetti’s 2017 re-election campaign consultant, told the Los Angeles Times that the mayor’s staff followed the initial announcement with the “error” email after realizing that it was an inappropriate use of city resources. Still, Carrick said the endorsement stands and would be re-sent with a non-governmental email account.
“They obviously know that was a no-no,” Carrick said, according to the Times.
City rules dictate that penalties of $5,000 per count may be assessed for violations, but whether Garcetti will be subject to fines for his action has yet to be determined.
Garcetti’s endorsement comes a week after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced his support for Clinton. Last week, her campaign announced she has received endorsements from more than 80 mayors around the country.
“Like Mayors across the country, I am working hard to bring shared prosperity to every corner of our city. And in Hillary Clinton, Mayors will have a parter – someone who is ready to stand up for our mainstream economy, and the people who need help the most,” Garcetti said.
While the mayor’s support of the Democratic presidential frontrunner was expected, his announcement represents a new development in his relationship with the Clintons, as both parties have not always backed the other.
In the 2008 presidential elections, he gave his support to Barack Obama, who was a senator from Illinois at the time. Then in 2013, former president Bill Clinton endorsed Garcetti’s opponent, Wendy Greuel, in the Los Angeles mayoral race.
Garcetti said he had met with Clinton privately on Thursday at a fundraiser she held in Hancock Park, the Daily News reported.
“She asked me a lot about L.A., our economy, immigration and some of the work in the city that we’re doing on immigrant rights,” he said, according to the Daily News. “We talked a little about tech jobs and the environment.”
“I look forward to working with my fellow Angelenos and across the nation to assure that Hillary Clinton is the next president of the United States,” Garcetti said.
