Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is poised to be nominated by President Biden as the U.S. ambassador to India, Axios has reported, citing sources familiar with the decision.
Garcetti had previously been in the running for a Biden Cabinet position before a sexual harassment lawsuit against the mayor’s former aide, Rick Jacobs, surfaced. Garcetti also said in December he had turned down a potential White House position as the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged L.A.
“The administration reached out to me about serving,” Garcetti said then. “I let them know early this week that my city needs me now, and that I want to be here, and that I need to be here.”
It’s unclear whether Garcetti would accept the India position. While Southern California is rapidly emerging from the pandemic, India is largely struggling to control its spread of infection.
Earlier this month, Garcetti’s office called an Axios report that he was under consideration for an ambassadorship “speculative.”
A Garcetti spokesperson declined to comment to Axios, the report said, as did the White House.
Biden will formally nominate more than a dozen ambassadors with the Senate once the vetting process is complete, a step that could happen as early as next week.