Rep. Tony Cardenas, a California Democrat, confirmed in outreach efforts to colleagues that he is the mystery politician accused of sexually assaulting a minor in a case first reported by the Los Angeles Times.
Cardenas’ name was withheld in the initial report covering a lawsuit claiming that a “public figure” had drugged a 16-year-old girl, then molested her on the way to the hospital after she collapsed.
According to the Times, ‘John Doe,’ or Cardenas, offered the teenager, a “star athlete” whom he’d invited to play golf with, a glass of water that she claims “had an unusual taste.”
Hours later she collapsed and he transported her to the hospital. During the drive, he allegedly “reached inside her shirt and rubbed her breasts,” as well as “fondled” her genitals, the report states.
BREAKING:
Congressman Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.) has identified himself in a lawsuit involving claims of sexual abuse against a minor, in order to deny the allegations.
Lawsuit claims he sexually abused a 16-year-old he met at a golf tournament in 2007.https://t.co/zeyuce5fEo
— An Open Secret (@AnOpenSecret) May 3, 2018
Cardenas vehemently denies the allegations.
His attorney, Patricia Glaser, released a statement saying, “My client is sickened and distraught by these horrific allegations, which are 100 percent, categorically untrue.”
She added that the “type of baseless and reckless allegations that are contained in the complaint against my client can ruin the lives and careers of innocent people.”
Wow. Tony Cardenas identified himself as the lawmaker accused of child sex abuse which he vehemently denies. I’ve been following the story, which was being talked about from LA to DC last 24 hours as Democrats tried to figure out who the subject was. https://t.co/x7CdeygcKt
— Adrian Carrasquillo (@Carrasquillo) May 3, 2018
Cardenas was one of Hillary Clinton’s earliest backers in the 2016 presidential campaign, giving his approval one full year prior to the election.
He was elected to a caucus leadership role by his fellow Democrats in 2016 and serves on the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
In 2017, as allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced against fellow Democrat Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra, Cardenas described the alleged behavior as “unacceptable under any circumstance,” and called for holding people “accountable.”
He demanded a “thorough and expeditious investigation of the allegations” and said Bocanegra “should resign immediately if he is found to be guilty.”
Will Cardenas hold himself to the same standard?
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