Windsor mayor stripped of bridge district appointment following sex assault allegations
SANTA ROSA, Calif. - The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted unanimously to strip Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli of his appointment to the Golden Gate Bridge District following allegations of sexual assault stemming over a 16-year period.
Board supervisors expressed remorse and regret over appointing the embattled mayor.
"There is not a chance in hell that I would knowingly appoint a sexual predator," said chair of the board Lynda Hopkins. "I had no idea that there were these kinds of allegations outstanding against Dominic Foppoli."
Additionally, each supervisor is calling for Foppoli to resign.
"Being elected is a privilege, you're not entitled to it," said district 2 supervisor David Rabbitt. He also serves on the Golden Gate Bridge District.
"You serve at the will of your constituents with the faith of your constituents behind you, and if you don't have that, step away and deal with your own issues."
There was no word of who his replacement would be.
Stripping Foppoli from his seat on the bridge district comes after the California Attorney General’s Office said on Monday that they would prosecute any potential criminal charges against the mayor, who has been accused of sexual assault by six women stretching back to 2002. One of those allegations came from county prosecutor, Esther Lemus. That has sparked conversations from county leaders questioning whether they are doing enough to support county employees.
"These incidents have put a stain on all of us in local government," said district 3 Supervisor Chris Coursey. "It provides additional reasons for people to have distrust in local government."
Foppoli has denied the women’s claims, writing in a statement over the weekend that he is "completely innocent of the conduct alleged" in a recent investigation revealed by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Foppoli has said the allegations are driven by politics, and he has made clear that he would fight growing calls from elected officials that he step down.
Also, last week, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office opened an investigation into the womens' allegations.
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