Senate to vote on Garcetti's nomination for India ambassador, ex-aide says he's 'unfit' for position

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced Garcetti's nomination last week for a second time.
Joe Biden, Eric Garcetti, Jan. 10, 2020, Los Angeles

The Senate is set to vote Wednesday on the nomination of former Los Angeles Democrat Mayor Eric Garcetti as the next U.S. ambassador to India – after his former top aide said this week that he is "unfit" for the position.

"He is unfit to become an ambassador or really to hold public office anywhere in this country or this world," Garcetti's former communications director Naomi Seligman told CNN on Monday.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced Garcetti's nomination last week for a second time as two Republicans joined Democrats in support of moving the nomination to a full-body vote.

Garcetti has faced difficulty being confirmed by Congress after he was accused as mayor of ignoring alleged sexual harassment and bullying. 

"Unfortunately, the White House has put undue pressure on Democrats to vote for Eric Garcetti because Eric Garcetti has been a very, very loyal person to President Biden, and that’s unfortunate," Seligman also said. "These senators that purport to support #MeToo cannot just do it when it’s politically expedient. They have to do it when it matters, even if it’s your own political party."