Endorsement: The Times rescinds its endorsement of Danielle Sandoval for L.A. City Council
The Los Angeles Times has withdrawn its endorsement of Danielle Sandoval, the Democratic candidate for Los Angeles City Council, over allegations that the newspaper’s decision to endorse her was racially motivated.
The Times announced on Monday evening that it was withdrawing its endorsement due to “new information and statements that have come to our attention,” and will not be making any further endorsements in the future. Sandoval will no longer be listed as a favorite in the newspaper, and the endorsement will be formally withdrawn at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times announced on Tuesday.
“Due to new information and statements that have come to our attention, we decided to withdraw the endorsement of our editorial board as of Wednesday. This is a very difficult decision, one that we are making in the best interests of our editorial page, our editorial staff members, our readers and our community,” Los Angeles Times Executive Editor Richard Kurfess said in a statement on the paper’s website.
“As elected officials, we are responsible for upholding the highest ethical standards. Now is the time for us to stand with honesty and integrity, and tell the truth as we know it as we work to restore trust in our democracy,” Kurfess added.
In an interview with NBC 5 News before the Times announcement, Sandoval said she was saddened by the newspaper’s decision, and said she was “stunned” at the apparent lack of transparency.
“I want to say that I am stunned by the decision to withdraw my endorsement from the Los Angeles Times editorial board, and to not release the reasons behind the decision,” Sandoval said. “I am outraged that the editorial board has chosen to remove my name from its endorsement list. If the editorial board had any integrity, it would immediately disclose the criteria by which it chose to withdraw my endorsement. In the real world we live in, there is no such thing as a free press.”
In a Facebook post Tuesday afternoon, Sandoval said she was “saddened” by the newspaper’s decision.
“I am saddened that the Los Angeles Times, as an independent local news outlet and in
