Garcetti was aware of sexual harassment allegations against top aide: report

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) had knowledge of the sexual harassment allegations against top aide Rick Jacobs long before the accusations were made public, according to a report from New York Magazine published on Wednesday.

Naomi Seligman, former director of communications for Garcetti, detailed the alleged incident involving Jacobs for the first time in an interview with New York Magazine.

According to Seligman, she and her team were returning to her office in Los Angeles City Hall when Jacobs, her boss at this time, came into the room.

“He crushes me against his body, pulling me in with all his strength,” said Seligman.

“I’m like a rag doll. He’s pulling me into him and kisses me on the lips for some long, uncomfortable period of time. He kisses me on the lips,” she continued. “I’m trying to push back, but he has my arms pinned down against the sides of my body so I have no leverage to push back.”

As Seligman recounted, Jacobs eventually let her go, leaving her “humiliated” that her team had witnessed that “act of dominance over me.” She immediately went to the office of Ana Guerrero, Garcetti’s former chief of staff, who apparently responded with indifference and “annoyance.”

In a statement provided to The Hill, Garcetti’s office said, “As the Mayor has said repeatedly and under oath, he absolutely did not witness and was not aware of any sexual harassment by Mr. Jacobs, and if he were, he would have put a stop to it. These claims were false the first time they were alleged more than a year ago, and they’re just as false today.”

Apart from Seligman, various other individuals have also come forward with allegations of harassment against Jacobs, including a LAPD officer who was a member of Garcetti’s security detail as well as popular online journalist Yashar Ali. Jacobs allegedly hugged and kissed other individuals without their consent and frequently commented on their physiques.

In July of 2020, the LAPD officer Matthew Garza filed a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles, claiming that Jacobs openly harassed him in the presence of Garcetti, who did nothing to stop it.

As New York Magazine noted, Garcetti testified under oath earlier this year that he had no knowledge of the allegations against Jacobs, whom he described as a “dear friend, as well as one of my most trusted advisers.”

In October, Jacobs took a leave of absence in light of the allegations against him, saying in a statement at the time that he did not wish to be a “distraction.”

Garcetti’s time as Los Angeles mayor will soon come to an end, as he is reaching the end of his second term. In July, President Biden nominated Garcetti to be the U.S. Ambassador to India, and his confirmation currently pending upon a hearing with the Senate Foreign Relations committee.