Eric Bauman, the chair of the California Democratic Party
will take a leave of absence to get treatment for alcohol abuse
and other health issues as he battles allegation of sexual
misconduct from staffers
Eric Bauman is
being investigated by the party for alleged sexual
misconduct and apologised in a statement released on Wednesday.
He is the first openly gay leader of the California Democratic
Party but one of his deputies called for him to be removed because
of claims of sexual harassment and assault.
In a statement today he said that he will now be taking a
leave of absence to get treatment for alcohol abuse and other
medical issues.
Bauman said:
'The events of the last few days have given me the
opportunity to reflect on my actions and their potential effect
on other people. I deeply regret if my behavior has caused pain
to any of the outstanding individuals with whom I've had the
privilege to work.
I appreciate the courage it took for these individuals to
come forward to tell their stories.
I will use the time I am on leave to immediately seek medical
intervention to address serious, ongoing health issues and to
begin treatment for what I now realize is an issue with alcohol.
Leading the California Democratic Party to historic victories
has been the honor of a lifetime, and I look forward to
continuing this important work upon the conclusion of the
investigation and when my health allows.'
The party has now hired an outside investigator to look
into the allegations.
Bauman released the statement in response to a story in the Los
Angeles Times that detailed complaints of sexually explicit
remarks and unwanted touching by male and female staff members.
Bauman recently said that rumours alleging he is a child molester
were
not true.
'Los Angeles County Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman, a
front-runner in the race to lead the state party, has sent an
email to California Democrats saying he's been targeted by false
rumors of "engaging in inappropriate behavior with 14- and
16-year-old boys," it was reported Monday.
Bauman said he decided to send the email Sunday after members
of his campaign team, while calling California Democratic Party
delegates to ask for their support, reported that at least four
people said they had heard the rumor, the Los Angeles Times
reported.'
Previous posts about Bauman on v/pizzagate:
[–] BBCRAJINIV 3 points (+3|-0) ago (edited ago)
Eric Bauman (Happy Hanukkah?)