Former Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez resigns her seat following leaked recording of racist comments

Nury Martinez has resigned from the Los Angeles City Council following the leak of a recording in which she is heard making racist remarks about a fellow councilmember's son. Martinez had previously resigned as president of the council on Monday.

"It is with a broken heart that I resign my seat for Council District 6, the community I grew up in and my home," Martinez said in a statement Wednesday. "When I ran in 2013, I wanted to see a change in my community and fight for my neighbors. That is what it has been about all along. No one expected me to win, but with the support of residents throughout the district I overcame that challenge and won the seat for Council District 6. I had the honor of serving in the role of a lifetime: being the representative for my neighbors."

Martinez, the first ever Latina to serve as president of the L.A. City Council, did not show up to a Tuesday council meeting, taking what she called a "leave of absence."