The Assemblywoman who represents Boyle Heights on the California legislature and her chief of staff were reprimanded Friday for inappropriate behavior, the Associated Press reported.
The reprimand is in response to a complaint from an unnamed person about an unwanted hug and kiss from Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo, and coarse sexual comments from her top aide George Esparza.
Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendón chastised his fellow Democrat in a reprimand letter dated Thursday but released Friday. The letter addressed to Carrillo and Esparza orders both to undergo training or coaching on appropriate workplace conduct.
The AP said neither Carrillo nor Esparza responded to requests for comments on Friday.
According to the AP, a report from legislative investigators found that Carrillo “hugged and kissed” the complainant on the cheek, and insisted on a “two-arm hug” from the same individual at a breakfast and a dinner event. Separate documents say Esparza “made inappropriate sexual comments” and that he commented on the complainant’s appearance in a letter.
The redacted documents do not say when or where the incidents occurred, only that they were in the last 12 months. Rendon’s office would not provide further information.
Carrillo was elected to the State Assembly in 2017 to represent the 51st District which encompasses parts of Northeast Los Angeles and East LA. The Boyle Heights resident is up for re-election this year and faces no opponent in the November ballot.
According to published news reports, in Jan. 2019 Esparza was named in an FBI warrant for an investigation related to his former boss, Councilman José Huízar. The former Huízar aide told the Los Angeles Times he stopped working for the councilman in early 2018.
Friday’s Carrillo reprimand is the latest of a number of misconduct and punishments of state lawmakers resulting from complaints related to the #MeToo movement. The AP reported that as of 2019, nine sitting or former state lawmakers had faced allegations of misconduct.
