By Vic Gerami
Will Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez Corruption Be Ignored?
Who knew the simple act of requesting an urgent grant for a minority community from a so-called progressive Councilmember in LA could be so difficult and lead to the discovery of systematic discrimination in his district? But it was difficult and painful to ask Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez for support for his sizable Armenian community in his district’s Little Armenia.
That’s why, dear readers, I now share my most recent experience with Councilmember Soto-Martinez and his staff.
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Background
I knew Councilmember Soto-Martinez before he was in office, as he ran my friend Sepi Shyne’s first campaign for the West Hollywood City Council. Councilmember Soto-Martinez, whose district includes Little Armenia, took office on December 22, when the Armenian community was going through the most challenging period in its history since the Armenian Genocide. They were experiencing the ongoing Artsakh Genocide, during which ultimately 10,000+ Armenians were massacred between 2020 and 2023, but also witnessing the rise in Armenophobia and anti-Armenian hate incidents and crimes in Los Angeles.
A couple of months after he took office, anti-Armenian flyers were posted all over Beverly Hills that called for the massacre of Armenians and similar ones in Glendale.
Also, the aftershocks of the leaked audio recordings of a private meeting involving Los Angeles City Council members and a union leader that involved racist and disparaging comments, including about Armenians and a prominent Armenian politician, were still being felt. The audio recording captured a conversation between City Council president Nury Martinez, fellow councilmembers Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León, and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor (colloquially referred to as the ‘Fed’) President Ron Herrera.
The Ask
So, I spoke to Councilmember Soto-Martinez about what Armenians are facing and what my non-profit advocacy organization, the Truth And Accountability League (TAAL), is doing to address the issue and find solutions to help the community deal with it. TAAL helps everyone regardless of ethnic background, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity. TAAL’s services and programs benefit the community, especially all marginalized minorities.
I also told him that the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations and LA vs Hate have chosen TAAL as their partner of choice to advocate for the Armenian community of Southern California. I described our partnership and that we are working on multiple projects together. I told him that we need discretionary funding and asked him if I could apply for a community project grant for TAAL to produce a series of anti-bigotry public service announcements (PSAs) to encourage people to report hate acts, incidents, and hate crimes to the County by calling 211 or on LAvsHate.org. LA Councilmembers offer $5,000 community project grants to organizations that serve their constituents and the local community.
Councilmember Soto-Martinez referred me to his website to apply for a grant.
The Process, Mistreatment, Negligence, Lies, and Excuses
My request was declined after writing and submitting two grant proposals to the Councilmember’s office, multiple follow-ups, contradicting stories, and being ignored by his staff. A staff member told me that TAAL is not based in District 13. After correcting her that non-profits don’t need to operate in the district but only to serve its population, the Chief of Staff stepped in to cover up the lies and games they had played.
While the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations was reporting that hate crimes against Armenians increased by 200% in LA County, the highest increase for any group, Councilmember Soto-Martinez and his staff couldn’t care less.
Next Step
Eventually, I filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the LA City Hall to obtain the list of all organizations and individuals who had received a grant from Councilmember Soto-Martinez’s office. LA City Hall promptly sent me the list. I was curious to see his office’s priorities and what kind of organizations, companies, and individuals were receiving grants.
In February 2024, about a year after I applied for a grant and well over a year after Councilmember Soto-Martinez took office, out of forty-five grantees, not a single one was an Armenian organization, company, or individual. Upon closer scrutiny, I discovered that many grantees received funding through nepotism. I’m publishing the list of grantees below so readers can analyze the names and make their own conclusions.
Public Relations Damage Control
Immediately after receiving the list from City Hall and learning that I had been provided the names of grantees, the Councilmember’s office, which had been ghosting me for seven months, emailed me to do damage control. After all this time, ‘Martha’ from the Councilmember’s office claimed they rejected our grant request because we had not submitted our IRS 501©3 certificate. This was a blatant lie, as there would have been no reason for us not to submit it. Furthermore, a non-profit organization’s status is public. Mind you, she never answered why she didn’t contact me if the certificate was missing. This claim was to cover their back after finding out about the release of the grantees’ list.
I then wrote Martha an email, laying it all on the table without mincing words. I copied the City and County’s hierarchy, including Supervisor Kathryn Barger. The outcome was that they gave TAAL a $5,000 grant immediately.
What if I did not have the knowledge and experience to pursue this case, did a FOIA request, and did not have a voice in the community? How many other Armenian organizations and individuals have they discriminated against? Finally, if you look through the grantee’s list, you will see a familiar pattern that demonstrates discrimination, bias, and nepotism.
Importance of the Story
While Councilmember Soto-Martinez talks about diversity and inclusion, reality proves otherwise. His record of helping community organizations reveals that his so-called claims of diversity are subjective and reserved for select people. The evidence and proof demonstrate blatant hypocrisy and double standards. LA City Hall has recently grappled with corruption, fraud, and discrimination. While Councilmember Soto-Martinez was condemning his colleagues, he and his staff were doing the same thing.
Do Councilmember Soto-Martinez’s actions demonstrate progressive values? Does his claim to being an ‘organizer, worker, fighter, City Councilmember’ who ‘builds community power in the thirteenth district’ stand to the test of integrity, honesty, equality, fairness, and inclusion of diversity when such blatant corruption and discriminatory practices in supporting the diverse population of his district stains his track record as a ‘champion’ of his constituents who elected him to office?
Vic Gerami
A noted columnist, Vic Gerami is also a journalist and media contributor who is also publisher and editor of The Blunt Post. His show, ‘The Blunt Post with Vic‘ on Public Radio KPFK 90.7 FM, part of Pacifica Network, launched in 2018. Today reaching national international audiences, Gerami first built a foundation of knowledge and skills by learning the media industry during his years at Frontiers Magazine, followed by positions at LA Weekly and Voice Media Group. For the second time, Gerami was selected as a finalist in the Los Angeles Press Club’s National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards “Columnist of the Year” category in 2019, having first made the final round of consideration in 2017. His celebrity Q&A column, ‘10 Questions with Vic‘, is syndicated internationally. The Wall Street Journal featured Gerami as a “leading gay activist” in its landmark 2008 coverage of opposition to Proposition 8, the ballot measure that for years denied same-sex couples in California the freedom to marry. In addition to his years of volunteer work as a leading advocate for marriage equality, later Gerami went on to serve as a Planning Committee member for the historic Resist March in 2017. Vic Gerami is also a founding board member of Equality Armenia. In 2015, Gerami was referenced in the landmark Supreme Court civil rights case, Obergefell v. Hodges, in which the Court held in a 5–4 decision that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process and the Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Vic Gerami is a contributor to the LGBTQ San Diego County News, Windy City Times, Montrose Star, DC Life Magazine, Out & About Nashville, Q Virginia, GNI MAG, QNotes, GoWeHo, Asbarez, California Courier, Desert Daily Guide, Armenian Weekly, GED, The Pride LA, IN Magazine, OUT Traveler, The Fight and The Advocate Magazine among others.
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