Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman has dismissed a part-time campaign staffer following the emergence of a social media video in which the staffer claimed a former Michigan congressional candidate attempted to “brainwash a lot of the black vote.”
Eric Cheng, a political influencer who worked with Raman’s campaign to coordinate relationships with content creators, was removed from his position after the video drew public backlash. In the clip discussing the Michigan Senate race between Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed, Cheng stated, “Turns out basically Haley tried to brainwash a lot of the black vote.”
Raman’s campaign swiftly distanced itself from the remarks, issuing a statement on social media that condemned the comments as reprehensible. The campaign stated that the remarks did not reflect its values, offered an apology, and confirmed that Cheng was no longer with the organization.
The controversy gained wider public attention after political consultant Mike Trujillo, who supports incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, shared the video online and criticized the campaign. Trujillo questioned the campaign’s approach to the African American community and called for accountability regarding the remarks.
The campaign’s decisive action comes as the mayoral race draws heightened scrutiny, placing candidate management and online staff conduct under the spotlight in Los Angeles politics.
