Another senator places a ‘hold’ on Mayor Garcetti’s nomination

One other Republican senator has acted to decelerate Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s affirmation to develop into U.S. ambassador to India.

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) mentioned this week that she has positioned a “maintain” on Garcetti, indicating that she wouldn’t enable the Senate to maneuver shortly on confirming his nomination.

Ernst joins Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who additionally put a maintain earlier this month on Garcetti’s nomination. Grassley’s workplace is investigating allegations that the mayor ignored sexual harassment in his workplace. Grassley has mentioned in a press release that whistleblowers have spoken together with his workplace and are presenting new allegations.

Garcetti has denied figuring out about any alleged harassment by his former advisor. A Los Angeles Police Division officer who labored on the mayor’s safety element sued town in 2020, alleging that Garcetti’s longtime advisor harassed him and that the mayor witnessed the habits however didn’t intervene. The advisor denies harassing anybody.

“There’s a whistleblower case on the market that’s very regarding to me. This is a matter that’s vital to me,” Ernst, who has spoken about being a survivor of sexual assault, mentioned in a quick interview with The Occasions Thursday within the Capitol.

“The allegations are that there was sexual harassment, one thing occurring in that workplace and that he didn’t do something to handle it. That’s regarding, particularly when all of us simply handed the Violence In opposition to Ladies Act,” Ernst mentioned.

The Senate earlier this month renewed the regulation often called VAWA, a invoice designed to fight violence towards girls, by rising penalties for home abusers and offering sources to victims.

Axios, which first reported Ernst’s maintain on Garcetti, additionally reported that Ernst can also be questioning the mayor’s diplomatic {qualifications} to signify Biden in India.

Naomi Seligman, a former Garcetti staffer who has testified that Garcetti witnessed his advisor’s alleged harassing habits, has been briefing Senate places of work on what she noticed, Axios reported.

The senators’ opposition means Garcetti’s nomination can’t be confirmed by means of a unanimous consent settlement. Senate Majority chief Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) can power a roll name vote on Garcetti’s nomination, however such a course of eats up beneficial Senate flooring time.

Garcetti traveled final week to Washington, the place it’s presumed he sought conferences to bolster his nomination after Grassley introduced his maintain.

In an interview with The Occasions earlier than he left for Washington, Garcetti blamed “politics.”

Requested if he meant a Republican-led plan to dam him, Garcetti mentioned, “I don’t know. All people mentioned, and so they gave me that recommendation, they mentioned, ‘Simply know on the finish that political issues can occur. So be prepared.’”

Smith reported from Los Angeles and Haberkorn from Washington.