SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Legislature racked up more than $1.8 million in legal costs from sexual harassment investigations during 2018 and the first month of this year when at least nine current or former lawmakers faced allegations of misconduct, according to records obtained by The Associated Press.
The Senate spent $1.26 million and the Assembly $571,000, according to the documents provided under the Legislative Open Records Act.
Neither chamber provided specifics on how many investigations the money paid for nor how exactly it was spent, citing attorney-client privilege and other exemptions in the public records act.
But both chambers previously have disclosed hiring outside attorneys during that time to investigate five current or former Assembly members and four current or former senators.
Their behavior ranged from using vulgar language and giving uncomfortable hugs and a “noogie,” to forcibly kissing a staff member and, in one case, masturbating in front of a lobbyist.
The spending occurred after accusations of widespread harassment at the Capitol surfaced in October 2017 as the #MeToo movement was roiling Hollywood and major corporations.
Four California lawmakers and multiple staffers eventually resigned, and the Legislature has since revamped its policies for reporting and investigating claims of misbehavior.
“It’s not the kind of place you want your taxpayer dollars being used,” said Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, a Democrat representing part of Los Angeles and surrounding communities who led the committee to change harassment policies. “The goal of our new policies is to try to intervene much earlier before we get to a point where you need to have a very large investigation.”
A new “Workplace Conduct Unit” debuted in February to look into all allegations of harassment and discrimination, sexual or otherwise, based on someone’s race, gender or other protected classes. The findings of major investigations will then go to a panel of outside experts who will evaluate them and recommend action to the Legislature.
Lawmakers approved $1.5 million to get the four-person office up and running last year, and its proposed annual budget is $1.7 million. Some investigations could still be sent to outside lawyers, but most complaints will be handled internally, said Julia Johnson, the head of the unit.
“We expect that as this new process moves forward, it will be both effective for employees in stopping harassment and efficient for taxpayers in how it achieves that critical goal,” Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins said in an emailed statement.
Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon said his priority is for staff to feel safe and to create a more respectful, diverse and civil culture.
“For that to happen, we have to investigate workplace misconduct thoroughly and consistently. I will not put a price on the safety of our employees,” he said in an emailed statement.
Neither chamber discloses information about allegations that are not substantiated, making it impossible to know the number of investigations actually completed.
