AP Exclusive: Misconduct inquiries cost California $1.8M

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE 12 minutes ago

HEADLINE SO DECEIVING 'THEY' MEANT 'SEXUAL' MISCONDUCT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The California Legislature racked up more than $1.8 million in legal costs from sexual harassment investigations during 2018 and the first month of this year when at least nine current or former lawmakers faced allegations of misconduct, according to records obtained by The Associated Press.

The Senate spent $1.26 million and the Assembly $571,000, according to the documents provided under the Legislative Open Records Act.

Neither chamber provided specifics on how many investigations the money paid for nor how exactly it was spent, citing attorney-client privilege and other exemptions in the public records act.

Click to copyhttps://apnews.com/32d28e6489e74fd1881520003d64da84

AP Exclusive: Misconduct inquiries cost California $1.8M

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE

12 minutes ago

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The California Legislature racked up more than $1.8 million in legal costs from sexual harassment investigations during 2018 and the first month of this year when at least nine current or former lawmakers faced allegations of misconduct, according to records obtained by The Associated Press.

The Senate spent $1.26 million and the Assembly $571,000, according to the documents provided under the Legislative Open Records Act.

Neither chamber provided specifics on how many investigations the money paid for nor how exactly it was spent, citing attorney-client privilege and other exemptions in the public records act.

But both chambers previously have disclosed hiring outside attorneys during that time to investigate five current or former Assembly members and four current or former senators. Their behavior ranged from using vulgar language and giving uncomfortable hugs and a “noogie,” to forcibly kissing a staff member and, in one case, masturbating in front of a lobbyist.

The spending occurred after accusations of widespread harassment at the Capitol surfaced in October 2017 as the #MeToo movement was roiling Hollywood and major corporations.

Four California lawmakers and multiple staffers eventually resigned, and the Legislature has since revamped its policies for reporting and investigating claims of misbehavior.

“It’s not the kind of place you want your taxpayer dollars being used,” said Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, a Democrat representing part of Los Angeles and surrounding communities who led the committee to change harassment policies. “The goal of our new policies is to try to intervene much earlier before we get to a point where you need to have a very large investigation.”

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MOAR Source: https://apnews.com/32d28e6489e74fd1881520003d64da84

Calforinfication - Results of investigations of 9 California lawmakers

By The Associated Press 16 minutes ago

At least nine sitting or former lawmakers were investigated over sexual harassment or misconduct claims in 2018. Here’s a rundown of the allegations and investigation results:

— Former Assemblyman Matt Dababneh: Investigators substantiated allegations he followed a lobbyist into a bathroom and began masturbating in front of her at an event in Las Vegas in 2016. The Democrat resigned but denies the allegations and sued the lobbyist for defamation.

— Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia: She was cleared of allegations she groped a former legislative staff member in 2014 but investigators found she used vulgar language in violation of the chamber’s sexual harassment policies. The Democrat won re-election in 2018.

— Assemblyman Devon Mathis: He was reprimanded for making sexual comments about other lawmakers, described by investigators as “locker room talk.” The Republican won re-election in 2018.

— Former Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra: Investigators say he harassed several women while serving as an Assembly staff member about a decade ago. In one case, he put a subordinate’s bracelet down his pants and asked her to retrieve it. The Democrat resigned in late 2017 but maintained his innocence.

— Former Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas: Investigators found he likely forcibly kissed a woman. The Democrat denies the allegations but resigned in late 2017, citing health reasons.

— Former Sen. Tony Mendoza: Investigators say he likely engaged in unwanted “flirtatious or sexually suggestive” behavior with six women, including four subordinates, a lobbyist and a young woman in a fellowship program. The behavior included offering a 19-year-old intern alcohol in a hotel suite at a Democratic Party event. The Democrat resigned in February 2018 but denied wrongdoing.

— Sen. Bob Hertzberg: Investigators found he gave people hugs that made them uncomfortable but concluded it wasn’t meant to be sexual. The Democrat stayed in office.

— Sen. John Moorlach: Investigators say he gave a woman a “noogie,” but did not intend it to be sexual. The Republican still is in office.

— Former Sen. Joel Anderson: Investigators say he threatened to slap a lobbyist at a bar near the Capitol, which he denied, and rubbed her shoulders. Anderson, a Republican, was termed out of office in 2018 and lost a bid for a seat on a state tax board.

SOURCE: https://apnews.com/5680fe0ae0244183b6cb68ffb4f91f1a

TSA Finds Non-Working Grenade Launcher in Luggage

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) — A Florida man’s plans to bring a military rocket-propelled grenade launcher back home were shot down after security screeners at a Pennsylvania airport spotted the non-functioning weapon in his checked bag.

The Transportation Security Administration says the unassembled parts of the launcher and a replica grenade were found on Monday when an alarm went off as the bag passed through security equipment at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, about 60 miles (96 kilometers ) north of Philadelphia.

The man, from St. Augustine, was stopped by police and told officials he thought he could bring the non-functioning launcher onboard in a checked bag.

The items were confiscated and he was able to catch his flight to Orlando.

TSA says no realistic or replica weapons of a military nature are allowed onto airplanes.

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This story has been corrected to show the group is called Transportation Security Administration, not Transportation and Security Administration.

SOURCE: https://apnews.com/9a44dda5398043b691d84233d47882d2

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