Tito Ortiz's Most Controversial Moments as Huntington Beach Mayor Pro Tem Resigns

Controversial Huntington Beach Mayor Pro Tem Tito Ortiz has resigned from his position, citing fears for his family's safety and media attention he says amounts to a "character assassination."

The former MMA fighter announced he is stepping down from the position, following his city council victory election in November 2020, claiming he has been met with "hostility and judgment" from his first day in office.

During a Tuesday night City Council meeting, the Republican said he was "under a notion that I was in a bipartisan position" and that the council all have a common goal of what the city and its constituents could have.

"I ran for this position with hopes to better my community, work on my constituents and give them a voice, making our beautiful city safe and clean and to ensure a bright future for my children," Ortiz said.

"To put it simply, this job isn't working for me," he added.

Ortiz has come under fire a number of times since he entered office, with controversies ranging from his apparent support of the QAnon conspiracy theory to sharing misinformation about the 2020 election results.

COVID-19

Ortiz, who was sworn in as a councilman on December 7, 2020, has frequently spoken out about his refusal to wear a mask in public or get a vaccine to protect against COVID-19.

During an interview on a podcast in 2020, Ortiz called the coronavirus the "Chinese virus"—a derogatory term often used by Donald Trump and his supporters—and described the virus as a type of "population control" by the left and a "political scam" that would disappear by Election Day, reported the Los Angeles Times.

In January, Ortiz apologized after he posted a video on social media expressing his anger that a local burger restaurant refused to serve him for not wearing a mask. Critics accused him of calling for a boycott for a business already struggling amid the pandemic.

"We have been going there over the last 10 years. I never had to wear a mask to order takeout." Ortiz wrote in a follow-up social media post. "I let my emotions get the best of me. I understand this is a small business and I would never want to ruin that business. I apologize to TK Burgers for my decision."

Ortiz has also refused to wear masks at city hall events, forcing the council to postpone in-person gatherings for their meetings earlier this year.

In May, Ortiz's two sons were sent home from school for refusing to wear masks. His girlfriend, Amber Miller, posted a video to Instagram claiming that the boys had a "religious exemption," adding that they will no longer be sending their children to school.

"The mental health of your children is so much more important than following these guidelines," Miller said on Instagram. "It is your right to breathe freely."

'Empowering' white supremacy

Ortiz has been accused of "empowering" white supremacists, due to previous Facebook comments about a Black Lives Matter protest, ahead of a planned Ku Klux Klan rally in Huntington Beach City.

As reported by Bloody Elbow, Ortiz was confronted by the public calling in during a city council meeting in April, about what his so-called plan of action was to protect Huntington Beach from the white supremacists coming into the city for a rally later that month.

One caller cited a Facebook post from Ortiz, discussing what he claimed he did during a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020

"I got the message that BLM didn't do their job the first protest. The next week they wanted the burn our city down and rape our wives. I took that very personal do to me living here for 45 years," Ortiz wrote.

"I called 4 of my special force friends and about 30 other friends HB citizens to help me make sure downtown was not burnt to the ground...We protected Huntington Surf and sport. I stood on my feet for 9 hrs with no bathroom break to protect downtown."

During a Huntington Beach City Council meeting in April, one woman said: "I'm just very worried when you see things like Tito Ortiz on record saying things like Black Lives Matter were coming here to rape and murder our women...And then he's silent about a KKK rally?

"You have your time to shine; talk to your people and tell them not to come to our city. You are empowering these people and it's f*****g disgusting."

Ortiz also appeared to suggest that the Democrats played a part in organizing the far-right rally which took place in Huntington Beach on April 11.

QAnon

Ortiz has also spread conspiracy theories related to the radical QAnon movement, as well as promoting it to his supporters.

Ortiz was found selling clothing with the QAnon slogan "WWG1WGA"—an abbreviation of ''where we go one we go all"—on his website during his campaign.

He also shared a false claim widely spread by QAnon supporters that President Joe Biden stood in front of a green screen to speak to reporters, and was not actually standing outside the White House.

Unemployment

More recently, Ortiz received criticism after he applied for unemployment benefits in February, despite being actively employed by the city of Huntington Beach during the pandemic.

"That was the basis for his claim and that's just simply not true," said Huntington Beach city manager Oliver Chi.

Huntington City Council has been contacted for comment.

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