Lawmakers curb partying as Capitol reels from #MeToo

SACRAMENTO — Each January, as lawmakers return to Sacramento from three months in their hometowns, hundreds of lobbyists and staff members join them at the Park nightclub near the Capitol to sip Moscow Mules, puff on cigars and catch up with old friends and frenemies.

For more than a decade, the extravagant Back to Session Bash — with cocktails flowing from ice sculptures and hip-hop beats pulsating across the dance floor — was a place to let loose. Debauchery at the bash, insiders joked, ended at least one career annually.

But with the Capitol reeling from accusations of sexual harassment and assault that have caused two legislators to resign and a third to take a leave of absence, the mood at the party this month was more subdued. Several women said — happily — that they weren’t getting as many drunken hugs as usual. Many wore black, a statement inspired by Hollywood actresses at this month’s Golden Globes.

And party organizers decided to scrap the rapper they had planned to bring as the headline performer — Too Short, known for songs such as “Call Her a Bitch” — after learning he was accused last year of rape, an allegation he denies.

Instead, the evening opened with a gospel choir singing “Oh Happy Day.”

“We want it to be a safe and fun event,” said Paula Treat, a longtime lobbyist who, as part of the #MeToo movement, has spoken out about a now-dead legislator who she says threatened her career when she refused to perform sexual favors.

Welcoming the crowd from the stage, Treat emphasized that security guards were stationed around the club: “If you have any issues throughout the night, please let them know.”

The party’s tab is picked up by interest groups that lobby in the Capitol — several Indian tribes that run casinos, a cigarette company, a slot machine manufacturer and a council of trade unions. Providing a memorable evening of free booze and entertainment is one way the groups try to wield influence, not only on the Capitol’s power brokers, but also on the junior staff who are frequently gatekeepers.

David Quintana, the lobbyist who first organized the bash 13 years ago, said he originally conceived of it as a way to do something fun for young staff members. It has since grown to become one of the Capitol’s main social events of the year — timed to the beginning of the legislative session to foster professional camaraderie.

“Very soon the whole environment we’re involved in devolves into one of partisanship and fighting over bills,” said Quintana. “Why not give people one opportunity to have fun?”

In past years, the party kicked off with welcoming remarks from the Legislature’s elected leaders. This year, legislative leaders were hundreds of miles away — Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Paramount (Los Angeles County), on a trade mission in Mexico, Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León, D-Los Angeles, attending meetings in his district.

Many legislators still attended, but most of them huddled in the private VIP room or mingled discreetly in public areas. None of them climbed onstage, as happened in 2014 when a handful of legislators danced with rapper Coolio — a moment that devolved into a political nightmare when video of the partying lawmakers showed up in an election attack ad. Its target, Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva, lost re-election that year, then won her seat back again in 2016.

Not that there was any shortage of revelry this year. Dance music started pumping after the gospel choir finished. The open bar was packed, and cigar smoke wafted across the patio.

Assemblyman Travis Allen of Huntington Beach (Orange County), a Republican candidate for governor, posed for selfies with party guests. Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher made the rounds with her adult daughter, chatting with colleagues and taking a quick spin on the dance floor.

Also chatting with friends on the patio was lobbyist Pamela Lopez, who last month accused Assemblyman Matthew Dababneh, D-Encino (Los Angeles County), of sexually assaulting her in a hotel bathroom. He denies the charge but resigned after Lopez went public with her story.

Lopez said she was pleased that everyone she talked to at the bash wanted to know how they could support her in combatting sexual harassment in the Capitol.

“The room was buzzing with conversations about how we can work together and make our community safe,” Lopez said. “We didn’t have those conversations last year.”