David Ryu Accuses Council District 4 Opponent Nithya Raman's Team Of Illegally Trying To 'Skew The Results'
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- Los Angeles City Councilman David Ryu is accusing his District Four opponent Nithya Raman of illegally trying to influence voters in the March 3 primary.
Ryu says Raman's representatives broke the law by campaigning within 100 feet of a polling location during the March 3 primary, where her team allegedly "pressured voters to fill out their ballots right then and there.''
Raman's co-campaign manager Meghan Choi said Raman did not break any election laws, was "very careful" and "extremely diligent in following the letter of the law."
Choi admitted to having campaign material present but argues that it was in compliance with election rules.
Despite Raman's team insisting no illegal electioneering occurred and with the primary election now over, Ryu is asking the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's office to look into the accusations and ensure the alleged actions won't take place during the November election.
Ryu is a UCLA grad and the incumbent for the race to represent District Four, which stretches from Sherman Oaks to the Miracle Mile.
He is the first Korean-American to serve on the city council and the first Asian-American to serve on Los Angeles City Council Leadership.
Raman -- an MIT and Harvard graduate -- is an urban planner with a background focused on homelessness and other forms of activism. She was recently endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders.
She previously served as the executive director of Time's Up Entertainment, part of the Time's Up movement against sexual harassment.
Ryu finished with 44.7% of the vote in March's election, while Raman received 41.1%.
The Sherman Oaks Homeowner's Association will sponsor a debate between Ryu and Raman this Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. The live debate will be viewable here via Zoom.
