Mario Trujillo
By Arnold Adler
Contributing Writer
DOWNEY — City Councilman Mario Trujillo has been censured by his council colleagues following an Instagram post regarding the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The censure vote came Sept. 17 at a special meeting scheduled by Mayor Hector Sosa. Sosa, Mayor Pro Tem Dorothy Pemberton and Councilwoman Claudia Frometa voted to censure Trujillo. Councilman Horacio Ortiz voted against the censure while Trujillo abstained.
Censure of an elected official is a severe reprimand but the council could not remove Trujillo from office or impose penalties, other than remove Trujillo from various committees.
The City Council was expected to approve a formal resolution Sept. 23 of the censure and remove Trujillo from all his committee assignments.
Trujillo, elected to office in 2020 and reelected in 2024, could not be reached for comment.
Sosa said he called for the censure because of Trujillo’s Instagram post which reportedly said “no one mourns for the wicked.” Sosa called the post inappropriate and said it placed the city in a bad light.
More than 50 people asked to speak at the Sept. 17 council meeting. Only three opposed censuring Trujillo. City Clerk Maria Alicia Duarte reported receiving four letters on the issue, two for the censure and two against. More than 300 viewed the council meeting online.
Trujillo said the meeting was illegal and against the Brown Act, the state law governing the conduct of public meetings, because council members discussed the issue with each other privately. In opening comments, he said he did not mention Kirk’s name in his Instagram post.
Kirk was shot to death while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Sept. 10. Police arrested a 22-year-old Utah resident, identified as Tyler Robinson, who reportedly turned himself in on the urging of his family parents.
The shooting enraged many, including President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, who have called for action against those who publicly “celebrate” Kirk’s death. It has resulted in firing of some people who made negative comments about Kirk.
“The posting was apparently available to viewers from Sept. 10 to Sept. 11,” Sosa said in a written statement. “I believe that this action was inconsistent with the standards of integrity, dignity, respect and professionalism expected of council members and inconsistent with the attached code of ethics and conduct for elected officials, particularly the elements pertinent to ‘respect for fellow elected officials, staff and the public.”
Citing legal procedure, the city issued a statement that said: “Censure must be considered in an open session in accordance with the Brown Act. The council must specify the specific basis and reasons for consideration of censure.
“The City Council should not presume that a censure is appropriate merely because it is being considered. It will need to hear the relevant information prior to making a determination,” the statement continued. “The City Council may determine that there are no grounds for censure, or that some lesser action or other alternative is preferred. If the City Council finds that a censure is justified, a simple majority [vote] is required.
“This is a City Council-initiated action that is entirely within the City Council’s discretion and is therefore not accompanied by any staff recommendation,” the statement added.
