Inglewood Mayor James Butts abruptly ended an interview with a Los Angeles television station, dismissing a reporter’s questions as a “setup” and “ridiculous” as he fights to keep his seat in an election headed toward a runoff.
Butts was speaking with CBS Los Angeles about his campaign for a fifth term when the exchange became tense. The reporter asked him to respond to residents who have expressed concerns about his demeanor and character.
In September, Butts was accused of inappropriately touching a teenage cheerleader while posing for a photograph at a voter-registration event at City Hall.
The allegations led residents and activists to call for his resignation, though Butts has repeatedly denied any misconduct.
“What do you say to people who say that this election was a referendum on you when they say things like they have issues, in their words, with your character and they feel that you are contemptuous?” the reporter asked.
Butts quickly objected to the question.
“Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Say that again,” he replied.
“I don’t even understand how you would answer a question like that. I don’t know what the situation is. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the mayor said.
As the reporter tried to provide more context and referred to city council meetings, Butts said he was ending the interview.
“I’m gonna terminate this,” Butts said.
“This is ridiculous. This is ridiculous. This is a setup,” he added.
When the reporter asked why he was leaving, Butts accused the station of posing questions that he could not fairly answer.
“I’m walking out because this is a setup. This is a no-win set of questions,” Butts said. “I don’t know who you’re talking about. I don’t know what situation is you’re talking about, my man.”
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Butts also asked whether the reporter intended to pose comparable questions to his election rival.
The CBS Los Angeles reporter said he continued speaking with Butts off camera for several minutes after the confrontation. The mayor ultimately returned and completed the interview.
The tense exchange occurred as Butts trailed City Councilmember Gloria Gray in his campaign for a fifth term.
As of Wednesday morning, Gray had received 32.65% of the vote, compared with 29.22% for Butts, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder. Because neither candidate had surpassed 50%, the two leading contenders could face each other in a March runoff if the results remain unchanged.
Butts has served as Inglewood’s mayor since 2011 and has faced controversy over misconduct allegations during his decades in public life.
On Monday, Nov. 2, the student who accused Butts of inappropriate touching filed a formal government claim against the mayor and the city of Inglewood. She alleged that he touched and restrained her without consent during the Sept. 15 event.
The claim states that Butts placed his arm against the student’s bare skin and held her as she tried to pull away, causing her physical and emotional distress.
Filing the claim is a required step before a potential lawsuit against the city.
Butts has denied the allegations.
The mayor previously characterized the accusations as politically motivated and said he was holding his cellphone during the photograph.
Butts has also faced allegations connected to his earlier career in law enforcement.
In 1993, authorities received a criminal referral alleging that Butts had molested his young daughter. His former wife, Minnie, separately alleged that he choked her until she lost consciousness in 1991.
Butts denied wrongdoing, and prosecutors declined to bring criminal charges, citing insufficient evidence, according to the Los Angeles Times.
