Accused California lawmaker resigns

Misconduct allegations denied by Bocanegra

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra resigned Monday following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, making him the first lawmaker to leave office amid a spate of reports rocking the state Capitol.

The Los Angeles Democrat previously had said he wouldn’t seek re-election and would leave office at the end of the next legislative session. But Monday, Bocanegra said that he has decided to leave immediately following reflection over the Thanksgiving weekend and conversations with family, friends and supporters. Multiple women have accused him of kissing or groping them without consent.

In a statement released by his office, Bocanegra said he had hoped he could clear his name.

“But clearly, the principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty’ has been temporarily lost in a hurricane of political opportunism among the self-righteous in my case, to the detriment of both the accuser and the accused,” he wrote.

Allegations against Bocanegra first came to light last month, when legislative staff member Elise Gyore said she had reported him to Assembly investigators in 2009, when both were staff members, after he stalked her around a nightclub and put his hands down her blouse at an after-work event. He was told to stay away from her, but documents do not indicate that he was otherwise disciplined by the Assembly Rules Committee.

The Los Angeles Times reported last week that Bocanegra is accused of groping or kissing numerous women without their consent over a period of years, even after he was reprimanded for his behavior toward Gyore in 2009.

Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon had said he would expel Bocanegra if an investigator verifies the new allegations.

Rich Pedroncelli The Associated Press file Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra, who already had announced he would not seek re-election following several allegations of misconduct, has decided to resign immediately instead.