Council Member Mocks Journalists and Knocks Over PCC President Kay Hartman
The Palms Community Council planned an event this weekend that became the site of an incident in which a member of PCC was seen behaving in a manner unbecoming of a community leader. The event, Palms Community Day, featured an appearance from City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto, and during the incident, PCC President Kay Hartman was knocked to the ground.
Journalists William Gude also known as Film the Police, and Jonathan Green came to the event to question Feldstein Soto on her record and allegations of misconduct. While the journalists attempted to question Feldstein Soto, she dodged reporters by refusing to acknowledge their questions. A member of The Palms Community Council, Kyle McAuley, decided to start verbally mocking Gude using rude language, as seen on video. McCauley is an elected official.
https://x.com/FilmThePoliceLA/status/1835083353059676460
McCauley can be seen backing into PCC President Kay Hartman in this video while taunting Gude:
https://x.com/FilmThePoliceLA/status/1835471151184986591
In addition, McCauley also mocked the question of Jonathan Green, who asked about an upcoming clean-up and “crushing” of RVs on Cotner Avenue as a journalist and a resident of Palms. McCauley answered the question by saying, “Hell yeah we are.” When Green responded that he was a resident of Palms, McCauley retorted,” Maybe you should live elsewhere.”
https://x.com/johngreenla/status/1835060380475048358
William Gude provided us with a statement via social media, which said, “An elected official at an official City event, acting in his official role, repeatedly cursed and assaulted me, while violated my constitutionally-protected right of freedom of speech as well as freedom of assembly. We can’t allow this to become a precedent. The City of LA must swiftly suspend and remove this official from the Palms Neighborhood Council.”
In a later post on Instagram stories, a shirtless Kyle McCauley repeated the infamous and untrue MAGA accusation about Haitian immigrants that Donald Trump has amplified in speeches that have caused school closures in Ohio due to bomb threats. He said, “Before we know it there’s going be Haitian immigrants all over Los Angeles eating our pets.”
https://x.com/FilmThePoliceLA/status/1835490279530635290
The PCC and individual members of the council, like President Kay Hartman are procedurally barred from making statements to the press without a vote of the council, so while we asked for comment, they declined to speak on the subject for these reasons.
