The next Mayoral election in Los Angeles is due to take place November 8, with Garcetti, who played a leading role in the American city's successful bid for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, not eligible to stand having served the maximum two four-year terms.

He has been nominated by the administration of President Joe Biden to become the new United States' Ambassador to the India.

But in a letter sent to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senator Charles E. Grassley, the Republican member for Iowa, said he has put a hold on the Senate vote over Garcetti, which prevents the nomination being fast-tracked, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Grassley, the ranking Republican member of the Judiciary Committee, also revealed in a statement that he is objecting to approval of Garcetti’s confirmation, citing allegations that he knew about the sexual misconduct of his former top adviser, Rick Jacobs, and did not take the proper action.

"I will object because I have received numerous credible allegations from multiple whistle-blowers alleging that Mr. Garcetti, while Mayor of Los Angeles, had knowledge of sexual harassment and assaults allegedly committed against multiple city employees and their associates by his close advisor, and that he ignored the misconduct," Grassley said.

Grassley also referred to an investigation of the Los Angeles Mayor’s office that "reportedly found no wrongdoing by the Mayor or his staff.

"However, information provided by multiple whistleblowers strongly suggests that this investigation was incomplete at best."

Garcetti’s office released a statement saying the Mayor "has testified under oath multiple times, including before the US Senate, and stands by his testimony unequivocally: He absolutely did not witness nor was he informed of any of the behaviour being alleged."

Garcetti, who led the presentation that resulted in Los Angeles being awarded the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in December that he never witnessed misconduct alleged by a former police bodyguard who alleged in a lawsuit that an advisor to the Mayor sexually harassed him.

"I want to say unequivocally that I never witnessed, nor was it brought to my attention, the behaviour that’s been alleged, and I also want to assure you if it had been, I would have immediately taken action to stop that," Garcetti said during his testimony.

A Los Angeles police officer who served for seven years as Garcetti’s bodyguard claimed in a 2020 lawsuit that Garcetti witnessed Jacobs harass him but did nothing to stop it.

Jacobs has denied the allegations.

Garcetti’s former director of communications Naomi Seligman has also filed a complaint with local, state and federal prosecutors demanding that the Mayor be prosecuted for perjury for repeatedly denying that he knew about another former aide’s alleged sexual misconduct.

In a statement, White House officials announced they were standing by the Mayor.

"Mayor Garcetti has been clear that he takes any allegations of harassment very seriously and has made clear this type of misconduct is unacceptable in his office in any form," the White House said.

"He has also said that he never witnessed this behaviour nor was told about it prior to the litigation.

"The President has confidence in Mayor Garcetti and believes he’ll be an excellent representative in India."