General (11)
Susana Barrios
From:ACT Anaheim <actanaheim@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, September 29, 2026 7:30 PM
To:Public Comment
Subject:\[EXTERNAL\] On Behalf of Dave Duran, District 1, Councilmember Ryan Balius
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For public comment on September 29, 2026:
So let’s recap.
The Mayor of Anaheim has been accused of receiving a $16,000 gift for her husband from the Qatar
embassy, the very same issue she was up in arms about regarding Jim Vanderpool’s Havasu trip in
January.
The Mayor is facing allegations from her own Chief of Staff that she repeatedly used the words “dirty
Mexican” when referring to her and harassed her and others regarding their sexual orientation.
Anaheim residents also deserve answers.
Speaking Spanish does not prove that the racist allegations are false.
Holding a Pride flag does not prove that the sexual orientation harassment allegations are false.
Public symbolism is not evidence that specific conduct did not occur.
Mayor Aitken, when these allegations first became public, you did not immediately issue a denial. You
asked residents to look at your record and the values demonstrated through your actions.
Yet, when your husband received more than $16,000 in Qatar travel paid for by the Qatar Embassy, I
think it is fair to say that your “demonstrated values” are also in question.
Leadership sets expectations throughout an organization. If an investigation substantiates
discriminatory conduct at the highest level of City government, then this Council must examine whether
there are broader institutional failures.
We absolutely should ask whether Anaheim has a culture in which accountability is applied consistently,
regardless of whether the person involved is an employee, a police officer, the Mayor, or an Anaheim
resident.
And just as importantly, we should be asking whether race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation has ever
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influenced who gets protected, who gets believed, who gets investigated, and who ultimately gets held
accountable.
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