Ambassador to India: Chuck Grassley Releases Report on Nominee Eric Garcetti, White House Calls it a ‘Hit Job’

India-West Staff Reporter

WASHINGTON, DC – After threatening to ‘hold’ the confirmation of LA Mayor Eric Garcetti as Ambassador to India, Republican Senator Chuck Grassley has now lifted it but said that he will vote against the nominee of President Joe Biden.

The Iowa Senator had requested the investigation into Garcetti and delayed the Senate confirmation vote on the mayor’s ambassador nomination.

On May 10, he released a report of an investigation that was conducted by his staff on Garcetti. Grassley said his staff had spoken to several whistleblowers who hadn’t been in contact with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The report concluded that Garcetti “likely knew or should have known” of sexual harassment and racist comments by former adviser, Rick Jacobs.

These findings contradict Garcetti’s testimony at a nominations hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Garcetti released a statement saying, “While I strongly disagree with the opinion reached in this report, I am pleased that Senator Grassley has lifted his hold, and hope that my nomination by the president can be considered by the Senate soon.”

The White House too released a statement saying, “This partisan report was a hit job from the beginning and many of the claims have already been conclusively debunked by more serious independent reports. The President has confidence in Mayor Garcetti and believes he will be an excellent representative in India at a critical moment and calls for the Senate to swiftly confirm him.”