Digest

This podcast delves into the deposition of Eric Garcetti, former mayor of Los Angeles, regarding allegations of sexual harassment within his administration. While Garcetti was not accused of harassment himself, he was accused of witnessing and enabling harassment by his close friend and advisor, Rick Jacobs. The podcast explores Garcetti's political career, highlighting his ambition for higher office and his efforts to position himself as a rising star in the Democratic Party. It examines Garcetti's public stance on the MeToo movement, contrasting his initial support for fighting sexual harassment with his later actions in the face of allegations against his advisor. The podcast discusses Garcetti's decision to endorse Joe Biden for president and the potential benefits for his own career. It introduces the lawsuit filed by Matthew Garza, an LAPD officer who served on Garcetti's security detail, alleging that Rick Jacobs repeatedly sexually harassed him. The podcast explores Jacobs' background and his significant influence in both business and politics, detailing his connections to powerful figures and his role in Garcetti's political campaigns. It presents Garza's deposition testimony, detailing his allegations of sexual harassment by Jacobs and his claim that Garcetti was aware of the harassment but did nothing to stop it. The podcast explores Garza's reasons for not filing a complaint earlier, citing fear of losing his job and potential retaliation from Garcetti or Jacobs. It connects the George Floyd protests and the LAPD's frustration with Garcetti to his decision to move forward with the lawsuit against Jacobs. The podcast reveals that Garza was not the only person to accuse Jacobs of sexual harassment, introducing Yashar Ali, a journalist who claims to have been harassed by Jacobs on multiple occasions. It investigates Jacobs' reputation, drawing on accounts from individuals who knew him before he joined Garcetti's administration, corroborating Ali's allegations of inappropriate behavior. The podcast explores Jacobs' behavior as the founder and leader of the Courage Campaign, based on interviews with former employees, describing a pattern of inappropriate behavior, including racist comments and sexualized remarks. It examines the stereotype of gay men inviting sexualized behavior and how it can be used to diminish allegations of sexual misconduct against them. The podcast details Ali's decision to speak up about his experiences with Jacobs after reading Garza's lawsuit, initially contacting Jacobs privately but later reaching out to Garcetti's staff. It highlights Garcetti's lack of response to the allegations against Jacobs, despite his public commitment to fighting sexual harassment. The podcast describes Ali's decision to publish his story about Jacobs' harassment, leading to Jacobs' resignation from his positions. It examines Garcetti's response to Jacobs' resignation, focusing on his explanation for the decision and his denial of witnessing any inappropriate behavior. The podcast summarizes the outcome of the situation, with Garcetti officially cutting ties with Jacobs and the city launching an investigation. It discusses Garcetti's potential for a national political job in the Biden administration, highlighting the challenges posed by the ongoing lawsuit and allegations. The podcast concludes with a brief mention of Jacobs' defense and a preview of the next episode, which will feature on-the-record testimony from Jacobs and Garcetti.

Outlines

00:00:00

The Garcetti-Jacobs Scandal: A Deep Dive

This podcast investigates allegations of sexual harassment against Rick Jacobs, a close advisor to former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, exploring the power dynamics, the impact on Garcetti's political career, and the broader implications of the MeToo movement. The podcast begins with a brief introduction, stating the date and time of the recording. It then delves into the deposition of Eric Garcetti, former mayor of Los Angeles, regarding allegations of sexual harassment within his administration. While Garcetti was not accused of harassment himself, he was accused of witnessing and enabling harassment by his close friend and advisor, Rick Jacobs.

00:00:05

The Deposition of Eric Garcetti and the Allegations Against Rick Jacobs

The podcast focuses on the deposition of Eric Garcetti, former mayor of Los Angeles, regarding allegations of sexual harassment within his administration. Garcetti was not accused of harassment himself, but of witnessing and enabling harassment by a close friend and advisor, Rick Jacobs. The podcast explores Garcetti's political career, highlighting his ambition for higher office and his efforts to position himself as a rising star in the Democratic Party. It examines Garcetti's public stance on the MeToo movement, contrasting his initial support for fighting sexual harassment with his later actions in the face of allegations against his advisor. The podcast discusses Garcetti's decision to endorse Joe Biden for president and the potential benefits for his own career. It introduces the lawsuit filed by Matthew Garza, an LAPD officer who served on Garcetti's security detail, alleging that Rick Jacobs repeatedly sexually harassed him.

00:08:52

Rick Jacobs' Power and Influence and the Impact on Garcetti's Career

The podcast explores Rick Jacobs' background and his significant influence in both business and politics, detailing his connections to powerful figures and his role in Garcetti's political campaigns. It presents Garza's deposition testimony, detailing his allegations of sexual harassment by Jacobs and his claim that Garcetti was aware of the harassment but did nothing to stop it. The podcast explores Garza's reasons for not filing a complaint earlier, citing fear of losing his job and potential retaliation from Garcetti or Jacobs. It connects the George Floyd protests and the LAPD's frustration with Garcetti to his decision to move forward with the lawsuit against Jacobs.

00:21:36

The Broader Implications of the MeToo Movement and the Future of Garcetti's Career

The podcast reveals that Garza was not the only person to accuse Jacobs of sexual harassment, introducing Yashar Ali, a journalist who claims to have been harassed by Jacobs on multiple occasions. It investigates Jacobs' reputation, drawing on accounts from individuals who knew him before he joined Garcetti's administration, corroborating Ali's allegations of inappropriate behavior. The podcast explores Jacobs' behavior as the founder and leader of the Courage Campaign, based on interviews with former employees, describing a pattern of inappropriate behavior, including racist comments and sexualized remarks. It examines the stereotype of gay men inviting sexualized behavior and how it can be used to diminish allegations of sexual misconduct against them. The podcast details Ali's decision to speak up about his experiences with Jacobs after reading Garza's lawsuit, initially contacting Jacobs privately but later reaching out to Garcetti's staff. It highlights Garcetti's lack of response to the allegations against Jacobs, despite his public commitment to fighting sexual harassment. The podcast describes Ali's decision to publish his story about Jacobs' harassment, leading to Jacobs' resignation from his positions. It examines Garcetti's response to Jacobs' resignation, focusing on his explanation for the decision and his denial of witnessing any inappropriate behavior. The podcast summarizes the outcome of the situation, with Garcetti officially cutting ties with Jacobs and the city launching an investigation. It discusses Garcetti's potential for a national political job in the Biden administration, highlighting the challenges posed by the ongoing lawsuit and allegations. The podcast concludes with a brief mention of Jacobs' defense and a preview of the next episode, which will feature on-the-record testimony from Jacobs and Garcetti.

Keywords

Q&A

• What were the allegations against Eric Garcetti in the deposition?

  Garcetti was not accused of sexual harassment himself, but of witnessing and enabling harassment by his close friend and advisor, Rick Jacobs, over a period of years.

• What was Rick Jacobs' role in Garcetti's political career?

  Jacobs was a powerful political advisor and fundraiser for Garcetti, introducing him to major donors and playing a key role in his campaigns.

• Why did Matthew Garza wait so long to file a complaint about Rick Jacobs?

  Garza feared losing his job and potential retaliation from Garcetti or Jacobs, who held significant power within the administration.

• How did the George Floyd protests influence Garcetti's decision to move forward with the lawsuit?

  The protests and the LAPD's frustration with Garcetti created a context where he felt compelled to address the allegations against Jacobs.

• What was Yashar Ali's role in the story?

  Ali, a journalist, came forward with his own allegations of harassment by Jacobs, corroborating Garza's claims and adding further pressure on Garcetti.

• What was the outcome of the allegations against Rick Jacobs?

  Jacobs resigned from his positions, and the city launched an investigation. Garcetti officially cut ties with Jacobs, but denied witnessing any inappropriate behavior.

• What are the implications of the allegations for Garcetti's potential national political career?

  The allegations and the ongoing lawsuit pose a significant challenge to Garcetti's ambitions for a national political job in the Biden administration.

Show Notes