Tito Ortiz resigns from Huntington Beach City Council, blames ‘character assassination’ and ‘fake news’

Tito Ortiz’s rocky stint as a Huntington Beach city council member has come to an end, just six months into his term. The Mayor Pro Tem made his announcement on Tuesday, claiming he’d been a victim of “character assassination” that now involves his family.

I was under the notion that I was in a bipartisan position and that we all had the common goal that our city and our constituents could… To put it frankly, that’s not the case. From day one, I was sworn in and I was met with hostility and judgment. Being a public figure, nothing is new.

However, to be so focused (on) character assassination each and every week with multiple news stories and leaked personal information, all in which were in hopes to slander and defame my name.

I thought I was up to this job. But I knew I had over 40,000 constituents who were there counting on me. As of recent, the attacks against me have moved to involve my family. I now feel (that) their safety is in danger.

To put it simply, this job isn’t working for me.

Ortiz has been a controversial figure even before he was elected into office in December. The UFC Hall-of-Famer had been vocal about his stance against mask-wearing and his support for far-right extremist groups. He’d also done his fair share of spreading conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most recently, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” filed for unemployment despite his Mayor Pro Tem job and a couple of business endeavors.