Assembly Re-Opens Sexual Harassment Investigation of Cristina Garcia

Staff Report

A Hews Media Group-Community News article questioning of the veracity of Cristina Garcia’s investigation has triggered the Assembly Rules Committee to reopen the sexual harassment inquiry against the embattled Assemblywoman.

The article entitled “Was the Garcia Investigation Rigged From the Very Beginning” outlined how the Assembly hired an attorney to investigate Garcia, creating an attorney-client privilege, thereby prohibiting all supporting documents from disclosure.

The investigation was conducted by outside counsel Vida Thomas of Stoel Rives, LLP.

In the end, the Thomas investigation could not “substantiate” the explicit sexual harassment allegations even after they interviewed Cerritos resident Daniel Fierro, who filed the complaint against Garcia.

Fierro told HMG-CN, “They interviewed me but they failed to interview another witness who would have corroborated my story, makes me wonder what their methodology was, it certainly was not transparent.”

Apparently, the Assembly did not think the investigation was transparent either.

Interestingly, and perhaps in a sign that Speaker Anthony Rendon is weary of the Garcia saga, Garcia did not know about the decision to re-open the investigation until this morning.

In a statement Garcia said, “After a four-month process, the original ruling by the independent investigator found that the claims against me were unsubstantiated, which was accurate.  I have constantly asked that the independent investigatory process remain independent from politicization. In that regard, it is unacceptable that the letter updating parties was leaked to the news media before it was received by my legal counsel.”

Mike Simpfenderfer, who will be running against Garcia in Novemeber told HMG-CN, “”The elite supporting Cristina Garcia tried to hide the truth just like the elite hid the truth about Bill Cosby. The truth will come out about Cristina Garcia just like it did about Bill Cosby.”

HMG-CN asked Garcia if she would “respect the process,” as she put it, and take a leave of absence  during the investigation, similar to how she demanded other lawmakers. As of publication time there has been no response.