LA Mayor Garcetti was reportedly aware of sexual harassment claims against top aide

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was aware of sexual harassment allegations against top aide Rick Jacobs – long before the accusations were brought to public light.

Naomi Seligman, Garcetti’s former director of communications, detailed the alleged incident in an interview with New York Magazine.

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

"He crushes me against his body, pulling me in with all his strength,” Seligman recalled.

“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.”

After Jacobs let her go, Selgiman went to the office of Ana Guerrero, Garcetti’s former chief of staff, who allegedly 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."

However, various other allegations of harassment have been brought up against Jacobs, who is said to have hugged and kissed people without their consent, often commenting on their physical appearance.

In July of 2020, 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 allegedly did not intervene.

Earlier this year, Garcetti testified under oath claiming 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 light of the allegations against him, Jacobs took a leave of absence in October, saying in a statement that he did not wish to be a "distraction."

Although Garcetti's second term will end soon, there is a chance that he will continue in public office as he was nominated by President Biden to be the U.S. Ambassador to India. His confirmation is currently pending, awaiting a hearing with the Senate Foreign Relations committee.