Los Angeles City Council member Kevin de León and his team expressed outrage toward City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto for failing to provide adequate legal protections from activists alongside her supposed political favoritism to one of de León’s opponents, Assemblymember Miguel Santiago. This past December, Feldstein Soto donated the maximum amount of $900 to Santiago’s election campaign, which de León criticized as politicizing her career and showing a clear lack of impartiality. Although de León raises an important issue regarding political donations, he doesn’t have the proper evidence to claim her actions were done with malice towards him or his future campaign.
The crux of de León’s accusation rests on Feldstein Soto’s inaction after a violent altercation he had with an activist in 2022. At a children’s Christmas toy giveaway, de León and LA activist Jason Reedy exchanged charged words and entered into a physical fight, resulting in both parties filing police reports, which ultimately led to no criminal charges. Reedy filed a lawsuit against de León and the city for insufficient security and police presence at the event. De León publicly expressed his concern over the city’s negligence, especially since his team had already complained and sought out legal action after they endured hostile comments and stalking. While no evidence has been found to support the claim that his female staff members were being stalked, de León wrongfully directed his outrage toward Feldstein Soto.
De León fails to see the difficulty in determining who or what caused the altercation to escalate. Opposing statements and an intangible video can make it difficult for any prosecutor to determine the true assailant. A combination of Feldstein Soto’s inaction and significant campaign donation to Santiago pushed de León to claim bias and favoritism falsely.
With council member elections in March 2024, de León faces Assemblymember Wendy Carillo alongside Santiago. Feldstein Soto’s donation could be a declaration of her support for Santiago and a call for a fresh start for the city council. However, Feldstein Soto is not the first and likely won’t be the last public official to donate to campaigns. Other political figures have also contributed to Santiago’s campaign, such as CA State Representative Damon Connolly, who donated $250.
De León’s reelection campaign and his unknown future on the council become apparent as more individuals enter the election. As the incumbent runner, de León has more chances to interact with voters, which he has taken to his advantage by visiting neighborhoods throughout LA. Regardless of his past, labor officials believe de León has a chance at winning reelection because of his community-level work and due diligence with constituents.
De León also has the advantage of the time passed since the scandals that plagued the city council in 2022 and a reformation narrative that paints him in a more positive light. A significant deficit in de Leon’s campaign is a lack of funds. In his 2020 bid, de León had nearly $1 million in donations and 52% of the public vote. This is concerning as research shows that candidates with more money are more likely to win elections. Anger from Feldstein Soto’s generous donation to an opponent and worry about his campaign funds could have pushed de León to publicly accuse Feldstein Soto of impartiality where none is present.
Like all American citizens, political officials and leaders have the right to vote for their representatives and officials. While Feldstein Soto’s donation to Santiago can express her preference for a council member, it doesn’t inherently reduce her abilities as the city attorney. Calling Feldstein Soto impartial for a donation can be the same as calling her impartial if she were to vote for Santiago, which is her right. The district craves change if Santiago and Feldstein’s Soto’s support is any indication. As de León faces off against Carillo and Santiago, perhaps he should focus more on raising the necessary funds to make his campaign successful and his future on the city council rather than calling out Feldstein Soto for exercising her constitutional rights.
