After more than two and a half years, the United States has finally named Eric Garcetti as its ambassador to India. He previously served as mayor of Los Angeles.
Up until approximately five years ago, Garcetti, a supporter of Joe Biden, was seen of as a rising star in the Democratic Party. But, controversies plagued the final years of his nine-year mayoralty, costing him a position in the Biden cabinet, and nearly ruined his desire for an ambassadorship.
When the US Senate approved a cloture motion last week, Garcetti’s journey to New Delhi was all but set. When the issue at hand has the backing of a supermajority, a cloture resolution is passed to stop further discussion on the issue by the minority members.
Who is Eric Garcetti?
The 52-year-old was reportedly raised in the San Fernando Valley and received his BA and MA from Columbia University, according to Garcetti’s website. As a Rhodes Scholar, he attended Oxford and the London School of Economics, as well as USC and Occidental College, where he also lectured. His website states that he “is an ardent jazz pianist and photographer” and that he served as an officer in the US Navy Reserve for 12 years. He and his wife, Amy Elaine Wakeland, have a daughter.
He became the first Jewish person to serve as mayor of Los Angeles when he was elected in 2013 and maintained the position until 2022. He was also the city’s youngest mayor in 100 years. Prior to that, he served as the 13th District Councilman and as President of the Los Angeles City Council from 2006 to 2012.
His time as mayor of Los Angeles was uneven, but it did have some notable high spots, such as securing the city as the host of the 2028 Olympics.
Eric Garcetti’s career and credentials
While he received praise for establishing a $15 minimum wage, making Los Angeles’ transit system more earthquake-resistant, and giving people regular updates during the Covid outbreak, which many found comforting, he received criticism for the city’s homelessness crisis. He received criticism from both the left and the right for his attempts to find a middle ground to the cries to “defund the police” during the protests that followed the death of George Floyd. A additional stain on his career was the City Council corruption allegations.
The biggest setback for him, meanwhile, came in the shape of charges of sexual misconduct against an assistant, which Garcetti was accused of failing to take action against.
All about Rick Jacobs lawsuit
A lawsuit was brought in 2020 by Matthew Garza, a police officer who serves as Garcetti’s bodyguard, against Rick Jacobs, a significant Garcetti assistant. Jacobs allegedly made “crude sexual remarks” and unwanted physical contact with Garza. Jacobs then gave his resignation from his position. Garcetti has stated time and time again that he was unaware of the alleged misbehavior. His opponents contend that he was either uninformed of what was occurring in his squad or was aware of the claims but did nothing about them.