Amid new groping allegations and a past "encounter," CA Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra (D) will not run for re-election

Demorats knew of Bocanegra’s behavior in 2009 and they supported him in the 2016 election. Guess demorats are only “disturbed” about his behaviors when more than one victim comes forward.
From Sacramento Bee: Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra, a Los Angeles Democrat accused of groping a woman in 2009 when he was a legislative staff member, announced Monday that he will not seek re-election next year.
The announcement came just hours before the Los Angeles Times reported allegations involving Bocanegra and six other women. If the allegations are true, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon said, he will move that Bocanegra be expelled from the Assembly.
“These allegations are extremely disturbing, especially since they come after Mr. Bocanegra had previously been investigated and disciplined* as a staff member and agreed to stop any harassing or abusive behavior,” Rendon, D-Paramount, said in a statement. “The decision to deny constituents the representation of their elected official can be a difficult one, but make no mistake: If the investigation affirms the allegations, I will move to immediately expel Mr. Bocanegra from the Assembly.”
*From Wikipedia: In 2009 Bocanegra worked as a staff member for then Assemblymember Felipe Fuentes. In October of 2017, Elise Flynn Gyore, who worked as a staffer for a state senator at the time, alleged that Bocanegra “put his hands into her blouse” outside of a bathroom at a night club in Sacramento. Flynn Gyore did not know Bocanegra at the time. The next day she reported the incident to the Senate sergeant who conducted an investigation which concluded that it was “more likely than not that Mr. Bocanegra engaged in [that] behavior that night”. In October 2017, Flynn Gyore made her allegation public, to which Bocanegra issued a public apology saying that he was “deeply regretful about putting someone in this position”, and that he wanted “to apologize most sincerely.”
In a message posted to Facebook, Bocanegra said he would immediately resign from his leadership position as majority whip and suspend his campaign for the San Fernando Valley seat.
“As you may know, news stories were reported a few weeks ago about a regrettable encounter when I was a legislative staffer in 2009. It was a moment that I truly regret, that I am very sorry for, and for which I have accepted responsibility for my actions,” Bocanegra wrote. “These news reports have since fueled persistent rumors and speculation, and I do not believe that this is in the best interest of my constituents to continue to serve next term.”
“I have sought counsel from community members and constituents,” he continued. “After much discussion and reflection, the most prudent decision to avoid another costly special election in Los Angeles and ensure our community is not left without any representation in the State Assembly would be for me to resign at the end of the legislative session. I will spend this time focusing my energy on serving my constituents.”
His decision comes more than three weeks after longtime Capitol staff member Elise Flynn Gyore spoke publicly, including to The Bee, about an after-hours event in 2009 in which Bocanegra, then a chief of staff, stalked her around a downtown Sacramento nightclub and grabbed her underneath her clothes.
The Assembly investigated Bocanegra at the time and ordered him to stay away from Gyore. She said she continues to deal with what she feels was an inadequate response by the Legislature.
In recent weeks, the Los Angeles Daily News and a handful of Bocanegra’s constituents have called on him to resign, including former Assemblywoman Patty Lopez, a fellow Democrat who defeated Bocanegra in a stunning upset in 2014 and then lost to him again last November.
After his announcement Monday, Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, D-Bell Gardens, demanded that Bocanegra resign immediately. “@AsmBocanegra you are not the victim, you are the perpetrator who’s victimized untold #’s of women & girls & brought shame to the people you purported to represent,” she wrote on Twitter. “Don’t wait till 2018. Leave now. #WeSaidEnough #MeToo #IBelieveYou”
DCG

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