Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar, who was accused of sexual harassment and settled out of court earlier this month, is running far ahead of his challenger for his 14th District seat, County Supervisor Gloria Molina. Huizar has amassed $700,000 more than Molina for the March 2015 election.
The latest City Ethics Commission report shows that Huizar has raised $735,000, including $86,000 he raised between June 1 and Sept. 30, with $577,000 in cash on hand, according to Los Angeles Downtown News. Molina has raised $32,575.
Huizar is running for his last four-year-term; Molina has been on the board of supervisors for over twenty years.
Three other candidates are on the ballot, and none of them has raised more than $6,500. If no one wins over 50% of the vote, there will be a May election between the two top finishers.
Huizar’s backers reportedly include business owners and developers interested in downtown Los Angeles.
Molina received $500 from Rosalind Wyman, a former city councilwoman, and $700 from an executive with WalMart.
It was not clear in Huizar’s sexual harassment whether Huizar personally paid accuser Francine Godoy, Huizar’s former deputy chief of staff, to close the case. Robert Alaniz, a spokesman for Huizar’s lawyer, Dennis Walsh, said, “I really can’t answer that question,” according to the Los Angeles Times.
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