Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman's campaign has dismissed a part-time staffer after he posted a video that included controversial remarks about a Michigan Senate race. The staffer, Eric Cheng, a political influencer who worked with the campaign on content creator relations, was removed from his position.
In the video, Cheng claimed that U.S. Representative Haley Stevens, a candidate in the Michigan Senate race, "tried to brainwash a lot of the black vote," according to the Raman campaign.
Raman's campaign issued a statement condemning Cheng's remarks as "reprehensible" and asserting that they "do not reflect our campaign." The campaign further stated, "We apologize. This staffer is no longer with the campaign."
The incident gained public attention after Mike Trujillo, a political consultant and supporter of incumbent Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, shared a post highlighting Cheng's video and criticizing Raman's campaign for perceived ignorance regarding the African American community. Trujillo questioned the campaign's need to target the African American community and whether an apology would be forthcoming.