LA mayor's former chief of staff in hot water amid leaked emails about Black Lives Matter

LA mayor's former chief of staff in hot water amid leaked emails about Black Lives Matter
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The former chief of staff for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's (D) office is facing stark criticism for her criticism of the city's police commissioner, her dismissal of Black Lives Matter, and her criticism of the premise of "structural racism.”

According to VICE News, "The emails, sent between 2016 and 2017, show long-standing disdain for the Black Lives Matter movement inside the mayor’s office dating back to its early years, an opinion critics maintain has persisted throughout Garcetti’s two terms."

In 2016, Ana Guerrero, who served as Garcetti's chief of staff at the time, expressed disapproval of the mayor being applauded for declaring Los Angelos a sanctuary city. Under that declaration, law enforcement would not notify federal authorities about the presence of undocumented immigrants.

For Guerrero, that declaration was deeply problematic. After viewing the mayor's video clip where he agreed with the concerns of a protester, she emailed the chief of the Office of Immigrant Affairs to voice her disapproval. In the email, she described the Black Lives Matter movement as "annoying."

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“I am getting annoyed by all the lefties who are making that their fucking issue of the day. Not as annoying as BLM, but getting close,” she wrote in the email, also adding, "I clearly have not communicated clearly enough to Shane that when a left refers to 'structural racism' they are calling us (as in commissioners, COF’s [chief of staff’s], etc.) racists.”

Another email highlights Guerrero's criticism of the new civilian police commissioner's ties to Black Lives Matter and her 2016 reference to "structural racism." At the time, Shane Murphy Goldsmith, the newly-nominated commissioner, wrote: “Together with many of Liberty Hill's grantees, the Black Lives Matter movement has brought attention and urgency to the issues of structural racism and systemic failures of the criminal justice system.”

In wake of the latest controversy, Garcetti's office released a statement to VICE News addressing the situation.

“This is one of the most emotionally charged and sensitive issues we face, and there have been painful moments of disagreement that have included situations where our staff were verbally attacked in person and online while doing their jobs,” Garcetti's office wwrote. “If there are comments that shouldn’t have been made by current staff, we will address those internally, and we will continue pushing forward with bold action to make LA more just and equitable for everyone.”

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Guerrero has not responded to VICE's request for comment.

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