LOS ANGELES — The #MeToo movement continued to convulse California’s halls of power on Thursday as Tony Mendoza, a powerful Democratic state senator, resigned from the Legislature after an investigation into allegations that he had made improper advances toward several women.

Mr. Mendoza, 46, a former elementary school teacher from Los Angeles, was the third California lawmaker to resign amid the national conversation about sexual harassment, which has toppled powerful figures in Hollywood, politics, the news media and other industries.

His resignation came just as fellow lawmakers were preparing to vote on whether to expel him from the State Senate or suspend him without pay. He had been on leave since January.

Mr. Mendoza has denied the allegations and apologized to anyone who had ever felt uncomfortable in interactions with him. He left office on Thursday with an incendiary resignation letter that blasted his colleagues and questioned the legitimacy of the three-month investigation into his conduct, saying he was not given “any opportunity to defend myself.”</s>ARTESIA, Calif. (CNS) - Facing possible expulsion from the state Legislature over sexual harassment allegations, Artesia Democrat Tony Mendoza resigned from the state Senate.



 Mendoza, 46, submitted a terse resignation letter while the Senate prepared for a vote on a resolution to expel him. If the Senate had approved the resolution, Mendoza would have been the first California legislator expelled from office in more than a century.

 

 Mendoza has repeatedly blasted the Senate's harassment investigation, and he continued that criticism in his resignation letter, calling the probe "farcical" and in violation of Senate rules and his own due process and constitutional rights.

 

 "I shall resign my position as senator with immediate effect as it is clear that Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon will not rest until he has my head on a platter to convince the MeToo movement of his 'sincerity' in supporting the MeToo cause," Mendoza wrote.

 

 De Leon introduced a resolution Wednesday night calling for Mendoza's expulsion from the Senate. It would have required a two-thirds vote of the Senate and would have made Mendoza the first California legislator expelled from office since 1905.

 

 De Leon, a longtime friend and former roommate of Mendoza, chairs the Senate Rules Committee. He is also a candidate to unseat Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California.

 

 His resolution stated that the committee's investigation "concluded that it is more likely than not that Senator Mendoza engaged in unwanted and sexually suggestive behavior with multiple staff members over a period of several years." It also notes that the Senate "is committed to providing a workplace free of sexual harassment and, in furtherance of that commitment, has adopted a 'zero tolerance' policy regarding harassment."

 

 The Senate Rules Committee released a four-page summary of its investigation -- conducted by a pair of private law firms -- on Tuesday. The investigators found that Mendoza "more likely than not" engaged in flirtatious or suggestive behavior toward a half-dozen women dating back to 2006.

 

 "Four of these women were working for Mendoza as staff members, interns or fellows at the time of his conduct," according to the summary. "None of these women alleged that they had a sexual relationship with Mendoza or that he had been physically aggressive or sexually crude towards them.

 

 "However, the recipients of this unwelcome behavior understood that Mendoza was suggesting sexual contact," according to the report.

 

 According to the report, none of the six women making allegations against Mendoza contended that he "explicitly threatened them or offered career benefits in exchange for sexual favors," however, the women who were working for him "believed that complaining about his conduct could put their careers at risk."

 

 The report includes allegations dating back to 2006, beginning when Mendoza was serving in the state Assembly. According to the document, investigators found it "more likely than not" Mendoza:

 

 -- engaged in flirtatious behavior with a female staffer in 2007, including asking him to share a room with him at an event in Hawaii

 

 -- shared alcoholic beverages with a 19-year-old intern in 2008 at a hotel at the Democratic California Convention and engaged in suggestive conversation with her, including asking about her dating life

 

 -- engaged in unwanted flirtatious and sexually suggestive behavior with a female staffer in 2010, including "inviting her to dinner or drinks and kissing her on the cheek after driving her to her house"

 

 -- engaged in flirtatious and suggestive behavior with a Senate Fellow, a woman in her 20s, in his office in 2017, including a suggestion that they share a hotel room at an overnight event they were both attending, suggesting she rent a spare room at his house and suggesting they take a vacation together

 

 -- flirted with another Senate Fellow working for another legislator in 2015, inviting her to visit him at his home

 

 -- engaged in flirtatious and suggestive behavior with a female lobbyist in 2015, taking her out to dinner and asking her "what type of guys she likes"

 

 The investigators rejected allegations that three Capitol staff members were fired in 2017 in retaliation for speaking out about Mendoza's behavior. According to the report, there were "pre-existing conflicts" among members of Mendoza's office, and the firings were likely "terminated for reasons unrelated to any complaint of sexual harassment."

 

 Mendoza, who has been on a leave of absence since early January, sent a letter to his fellow senators Wednesday saying the findings of the committee's investigation don't warrant expulsion from the Legislature.

 

 "Although I wholly regret that I previously caused others to feel uncomfortable, I believe that my suspension or expulsion from the Senate would be both unwarranted and unprecedented," Mendoza wrote in the letter.

 

 He noted that he is up for reelection in June, and voters should be able to decide if he should hold onto his seat.

 

 In his resignation letter, Mendoza re-stated his apology to anyone who felt uncomfortable by his actions, but said the findings of the Senate investigation "do not comport with my recollection or perception of the events described."

 

 But he lashed out at fellow senators, suggesting that the actions taken against him were motivated in part by Senate democrats who are "either running for statewide office or under investigation," and by the fears of "my mostly male colleagues from either party" who are "concerned at the prospect of being accused of 'protecting' me."

 

 Mendoza filed a lawsuit against the state last week, claiming he was illegally prevented from returning to work when his leave of absence was scheduled to end Jan. 26. The Senate voted at that time to extend his leave another 60 days so the probe could be completed.

 

 Mendoza is married with four children. His 32nd Senate District includes Artesia, Bellflower, Buena Park, Cerritos, Commerce, Downey, Hacienda Heights, Hawaiian Gardens, La Habra Heights, La Mirada, Lakewood, Los Nietos, Montebello, Norwalk, Pico Rivera, Rose Hills, Santa Fe Springs, South Whittier and Whittier.

 

 Mendoza served in the state Assembly from 2006-12 and was elected to the Senate in 2014. He is a former Artesia city councilman and mayor.</s>LOS ANGELES — The #MeToo movement continued to convulse California’s halls of power on Thursday as Tony Mendoza, a powerful Democratic state senator, resigned from the Legislature after an investigation into allegations that he had made improper advances toward several women.

Mr. Mendoza, 46, a former elementary school teacher from Los Angeles, was the third California lawmaker to resign amid the national conversation about sexual harassment, which has toppled powerful figures in Hollywood, politics, the news media and other industries.

His resignation came just as fellow lawmakers were preparing to vote on whether to expel him from the State Senate or suspend him without pay. He had been on leave since January.

Mr. Mendoza has denied the allegations and apologized to anyone who had ever felt uncomfortable in interactions with him. He left office on Thursday with an incendiary resignation letter that blasted his colleagues and questioned the legitimacy of the three-month investigation into his conduct, saying he was not given “any opportunity to defend myself.”

He took particular aim at Kevin de Leon, the leader of the Democratic-controlled Senate, who is running for the United States Senate in a bid to unseat the incumbent, Dianne Feinstein. Mr. de Leon and Mr. Mendoza were once roommates, and their relationship had put an unwanted spotlight on Mr. de Leon’s actions — and on what he may have known about Mr. Mendoza’s conduct.</s>SACRAMENTO — A California state senator has resigned over sexual misconduct allegations just ahead of a possible vote by his colleagues to expel him.

Spokesman Robert Alaniz says Democratic Sen. Tony Mendoza stepped down Thursday. He’s the third California lawmaker to resign over sexual misconduct claims in recent months.

He would’ve been the first lawmaker expelled since 1905.

In his resignation letter, Mendoza called the Senate’s process “farcical” and unfair and is still considering running for re-election in the fall.

An investigation found the Los Angeles-area Democrat likely engaged in unwanted flirtatious and sexually suggestive behavior with six women.

He denies wrongdoing but has apologized if he made anyone feel uncomfortable.

Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, Mendoza’s former roommate in Sacramento, had been pushing to impose the most serious punishment in the Senate’s arsenal for the first time since 1905.</s>SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A California state senator accused of sexual misconduct resigned Thursday just ahead of a possible vote to expel him, delivering a scathing resignation letter that called the investigation process a farce.

Democratic Sen. Tony Mendoza of the Los Angeles area said he may still run for the seat this fall, putting his party in an uncomfortable spot. His resignation letter takes aim at the leader of the Senate, a fellow Democrat and Mendoza’s former roommate in Sacramento who was leading the effort to expel him.

“It is clear that Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon will not rest until he has my head on a platter to convince the MeToo movement of his ‘sincerity’ in supporting the MeToo cause,” Mendoza wrote.

De Leon said the Legislature “won’t tolerate abuse of power and a pattern of behavior that violates our harassment standards.”

Mendoza is the third California lawmaker to resign over sexual misconduct allegations since the #MeToo movement erupted nationally last fall, leading millions of women to share their experiences on social media.

Lawyers investigating complaints against Mendoza, who is 46 and married, found that he likely engaged in unwanted “flirtatious or sexually suggestive” behavior with six women, including four subordinates, a lobbyist and a young woman in a fellowship with another lawmaker.

Several accusations against Mendoza first became public last fall in a report by the Sacramento Bee newspaper. Under pressure from other lawmakers, Mendoza took a leave of absence. Days before he was set to return in January, the Senate Rules Committee suspended him because the independent investigation had not yet concluded.

Mendoza sued for reinstatement last week alleging that the suspension was unconstitutional, among other arguments. He does not plan to drop his legal challenge.

In a letter pleading his case to colleagues Wednesday, Mendoza said he was sorry if anyone was offended by his behavior but continued to deny wrongdoing.

The investigation released Tuesday found he “more likely than not” engaged in behavior such as offering a 19-year-old intern alcohol in a hotel suite at a Democratic event, suggesting a young woman in a Senate fellowship take a vacation with him and rent a room in his house, and asking several women about their romantic lives.

Mendoza argued in his resignation letter that the “more likely than not” was a low standard of proof not meriting a penalty as high as expulsion. He called the Senate’s process “farcical” and unfair.

In the earlier letter to his colleagues, Mendoza denied giving alcohol to an underage intern or inviting a young aide, who worked in his office through a California State University fellowship, to his house under the guise of reviewing resumes. He did not directly address the other findings.

He also pointed out that the investigators didn’t find he was physically aggressive or sexually crude and that in some of the incidents, he reformed his behavior after he was told his advances were unwanted.

Two other Los Angeles-area Democratic representatives, Raul Bocanegra and Matt Dababneh, resigned last fall. Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia took voluntary leave after she was accused of groping.</s>SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - A California state senator accused of engaging in “unwelcome flirtation and sexually suggestive behavior” with several women, including subordinates, resigned on Thursday as colleagues were due to vote on whether he should be expelled.

Tony Mendoza, a Los Angeles-area lawmaker, became the third member of the California legislature, all Democrats, to resign over allegations of sexual misconduct since the #MeToo movement took root last fall, toppling powerful men in politics, the media and other realms of American life.

His resignation came two days after the Senate Rules Committee released a summary of an independent investigative report prepared by two law firms finding it “more likely than not” that Mendoza had made unwanted advances toward six women, four of whom worked for him.

The alleged instances of “unwelcome flirtation and sexually suggestive behavior” occurred over the past decade, during Mendoza’s tenure as a state Assembly member, from 2006 to 2012, and as a senator, from 2014 to the present.

“None of these women alleged they had a sexual relationship with Mendoza or that he had been physically aggressive or sexually crude towards them,” the report said. “However, the recipients of this unwelcome behavior understood that Mendoza was suggesting sexual contact.”

In his resignation letter, Mendoza said he was “immensely sorry if my words or actions ever made anyone feel uncomfortable.” He said the findings of the Senate investigation “do not comport with my recollection or perception of the events described.”

Mendoza, 46, has categorically denied serving alcohol to anyone under age, as was alleged by one 19-year-old intern. He also has accused Senate leaders, including Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, of denying him due process in what Mendoza called “a secret investigation of my case.”

Mendoza had taken a leave of absence in January after allegations against him first surfaced, and that leave was extended for 60 days by the Rules Committee without his consent.

He stepped down as the Senate was expected to consider a resolution introduced by de Leon that sought to expel Mendoza, citing the conclusions of the investigation and the body’s zero-tolerance policy toward sexual harassment.

The last time the California Senate expelled any of its members was in 1905, when four senators accused of taking bribes were voted out, according to legislative historian cited by the Sacramento Bee.</s>Critics cite a state senator's dramatic resignation in highlighting the work to be done to change the culture of sexual misconduct in the California Legislature.

Sen. Tony Mendoza succumbed to months of mounting tension over sexual misconduct allegations Thursday, resigning his position as he was about to face a potential vote on his expulsion.

His scathing letter called the investigation into his conduct a farce and underscored the Legislature's struggle to respond to the #MeToo movement.

Last fall, millions of women on social media shared their experiences with sexual harassment and assault in the workplace. Dozens of women who work at the Capitol joined the movement by sending a letter calling for a change to the California Legislature.

Claims were made against a handful of lawmakers with allegations including sexual misconduct as well as retaliation.

An investigation found that Mendoza likely engaged in unwanted "flirtatious or sexually suggestive" behavior with six women, including four subordinates, a lobbyist and a young woman in a fellowship with another lawmaker.

Lawyers who conducted the investigation released Tuesday found that Mendoza "more likely than not" engaged in behavior such as offering a 19-year-old intern alcohol in a hotel suite at a Democratic event, suggesting a young woman in a Senate fellowship take a vacation with him and rent a room in his house, and asking several women about their romantic lives.

Mendoza, who is 46 and married, said in his resignation letter that "more likely than not" was a low standard of proof that didn't merit a penalty as high as expulsion. He added that he wasn't able to see the evidence against him and was ordered to remain silent about the allegations.

Mendoza's resignation was the best solution for the women who accused him of misconduct, but it hasn't delivered justice or due process, said Samantha Corbin, a lobbyist and co-founder of a group called We Said Enough that formed in the wake of the letter sent by female Capitol workers.

The Legislature still hasn't adopted fair and transparent policies for sexual misconduct, Corbin said.

"There's a lot of room for interpretation, there's a lot of ambiguity, and it does neither the victims nor the perpetrators any type of justice," she said. "It's unfair for everyone."

Some say objectivity must be improved.

"Removing senators from the process of deciding cases of sexual harassment involving their friends and roommates is imperative," said Sen. Andy Vidak, a Republican who first moved to expel Mendoza in January. "The Mendoza mess has brought to light all of the flaws of our sexual harassment policies but hopefully will lead us to some resolution."

Mendoza wrote that he couldn't get a fair hearing with so many of his fellow Democrats running for higher office and thinking about their own political futures.

He took aim at the leader of the Senate, a fellow Democrat and his former roommate in Sacramento who moved out and ultimately led the effort to remove him from the Legislature.

"It is clear that Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon will not rest until he has my head on a platter to convince the MeToo movement of his 'sincerity' in supporting the MeToo cause," Mendoza wrote.

De Leon, who is running for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Dianne Feinstein, said the Legislature "won't tolerate abuse of power and a pattern of behavior that violates our harassment standards."

Leaders of the Legislative Women's Caucus said more work remains to be done to ensure clear sexual harassment policies. Assemblywoman Susan Talamantes Eggman and Sen. Connie Leyva said the Legislature must ensure harassment claims are dealt with transparently and "no one is beyond reproach."

Elected officials need to hold themselves to a higher standard, and the Senate doesn't need to hold itself to the same standard as a court of law, said Kim Nalder, director of the Project for an Informed Electorate at California State University, Sacramento.

"So long as there's a process that's transparent and rigorous, that's what we should expect of them."

Mendoza is the third California lawmaker to resign recently over sexual misconduct allegations. Two other Los Angeles-area Democratic representatives, Raul Bocanegra and Matt Dababneh, resigned last fall. Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia has taken leave after she was accused of groping.

An investigation has concluded into Sen. Bob Hertzberg, whom at least three female colleagues say made them uncomfortable with hugs. The findings have not been made public.</s>Facing possible expulsion by his colleagues, Sen. Tony Mendoza, D-Artesia, announced his resignation Thursday, making him the third state lawmaker to resign amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

The resignation comes two days after a panel of lawmakers announced the findings of an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment by Mendoza toward six women.

The investigation, conducted by independent law firms Gibson Dunn and Van Dermyden Maddux, found that it was “more likely than not” that Mendoza engaged in “unwanted flirtatious or sexually suggestive behavior” toward the women.

The incidents, which span from 2007 to as recently as last year, included four women who were working under Mendoza, who served as an assemblyman from 2006 to 2012 and served as a state senator since 2014.

Following the announcement of the investigations’ findings, Senate Leader Kevin de León, who was also a roommate of Mendoza in Sacramento until the allegations against Mendoza broke in November, called on Mendoza to resign.

Mendoza has consistently denied allegations of wrongdoing, and condemned what he claimed to be an “extreme lack of due process” in the proceedings of the investigation and took a defiant tone against his former roommate.

“I shall resign my position as senator with immediate effect as it is clear that Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León will not rest until he has my head on a platter to convince the MeToo movement of his ‘sincerity’ in supporting the MeToo cause,” he wrote in his resignation letter.

Mendoza, who now follows fellow former Los Angeles-area Democratic Assemblymen Raul Bocanegra and Matt Dababneh in resigning following sexual misconduct allegations, notably did not rule out running again later this year for his former seat and reiterated that he will pursue legal action against the state Senate. While Mendoza should feel free to seek vindication, his resignation is fundamentally the just outcome his constituents deserve. Six women spoke up, had their claims investigated and the independent investigation found it “more likely than not” that he did what they said he did. He abused his power over multiple women.</s>The immediate resignation, announced in a letter, came while the California Senate Thursday debated a resolution to expel the Los Angeles lawmaker. The highly unusual session came a day after Republicans and Democrats met separately in secret caucus meetings to decide the appropriate discipline for Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia), who had previously said he planned to defend himself on the Senate floor.

The resignation came after Senate President Kevin De Leon’s introduced a resolution late Wednesday night that would impose the most serious punishment in the Senate’s arsenal, expulsion.

De Leon and Mendoza are both Democrats from Los Angeles County who shared a home in Sacramento until last fall, when De Leon moved out when allegations against Mendoza became public. De Leon, who is challenging U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, will give up his leadership post next month.

Lawyers investigating complaints against Mendoza, who is 46 and married, found that he likely engaged in unwanted “flirtatious or sexually suggestive” behavior going back to 2006 with six women, including four subordinates, a lobbyist and a young woman in a fellowship with another lawmaker.

The Senate Rules Committee released a four-page summary of the independent investigation — conducted by a pair of private law firms — on Tuesday.

“Four of these women were working for Mendoza as staff members, interns or fellows at the time of his conduct,” according to the summary. “None of these women alleged that they had a sexual relationship with Mendoza or that he had been physically aggressive or sexually crude towards them.

“However, the recipients of this unwelcome behavior understood that Mendoza was suggesting sexual contact,” according to the report.

Several accusations against Mendoza first became public last fall in a report by the Sacramento Bee. Under pressure from other lawmakers, Mendoza took a leave of absence. The Senate Rules Committee suspended him in late January — days before he was set to return from leave — because the independent investigation had not yet concluded.

Mendoza sued for reinstatement last week alleging, among other arguments, that the suspension was unconstitutional.

In November, around the time the allegations against Mendoza surfaced, the committee announced new rules on how sexual assault allegations within the Legislature would be handled. The committee said it would no longer be handling the complaints itself, but instead would bring in an independent outside legal team to investigate.

The move came after the committee was accused of retaliating against whistle-blowers. A lawyer for a former Mendoza staffer says her client and two others were fired after they complained to the committee that Mendoza was acting inappropriately. The Rules Committee has denied the allegations.

The California Constitution requires a two-thirds vote to suspend a member, but the chamber voted last month to give the five-member Rules Committee the power to extend Mendoza’s leave of absence.

In a letter pleading his case to colleagues Wednesday, the Los Angeles-area Democrat said he was sorry if anyone was offended by his behavior but continued to deny wrongdoing.

The investigation, which was released Tuesday, found Mendoza “more likely than not” engaged in behavior such as offering a 19-year-old intern alcohol in a hotel suite at a Democratic Party event, suggesting a young woman in a Senate fellowship take a vacation with him and rent a room in his house, and asked several of the women about their dating lives.

Expelling or suspending Mendoza would have required a two-thirds vote — 27 of the 40 senators. He can be censured with 21 votes.

No senator has been expelled since 1905, and the Senate has suspended just three members — Leland Yee, Ron Calderon and Roderick Wright — all of them in 2014 when they faced criminal charges.

Mendoza repeated his complaint that the Senate has not followed its own process for disciplining lawmakers and that he hasn’t been allowed to read the full investigative report, including the evidence against him.

The summarized findings released late Tuesday “do not comport with my recollection or perception of the events described,” Mendoza wrote, but added: “I am immensely sorry if my words or actions ever made anyone feel uncomfortable.”

Mendoza’s letter specifically denied giving alcohol to an underage intern or inviting a young aide, who worked in his office through a California State University fellowship, to his house under the guise of reviewing resumes.

He did not directly address the investigation’s other findings.

Mendoza, who was chairman of the Insurance, Banking and Financial Institutions Committee until the allegations came to light last year, is the first member of the Senate to face punishment since the sexual misconduct scandal emerged last fall.

Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, who represents a portion of the district Mendoza was elected to serve, took a voluntary leave after she was accused of groping. Two other Los Angeles-area Assembly Democrats — Raul Bocanegra and Matt Dababneh — resigned their seats.</s>(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — A California state senator accused of sexual misconduct resigned Thursday just ahead of a possible vote to expel him, delivering a scathing resignation letter that called the investigation a farce and underscored the Legislature’s struggle to respond to the #MeToo movement.

Democratic Sen. Tony Mendoza of the Los Angeles area said he may still run for the seat this fall, putting his party in an uncomfortable spot. His resignation letter takes aim at the leader of the Senate, a fellow Democrat and his former roommate in Sacramento who was leading the effort to kick him out.

“It is clear that Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon will not rest until he has my head on a platter to convince the MeToo movement of his ‘sincerity’ in supporting the MeToo cause,” Mendoza wrote as he resigned.

De Leon, who is running for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Dianne Feinstein, said the Legislature “won’t tolerate abuse of power and a pattern of behavior that violates our harassment standards.”

An investigation found that Mendoza likely engaged in unwanted “flirtatious or sexually suggestive” behavior with six women, including four subordinates, a lobbyist and a young woman in a fellowship with another lawmaker. He is the third California lawmaker to resign over sexual misconduct allegations since the #MeToo movement erupted nationally last fall, leading millions of women to share their experiences on social media.

Mendoza has consistently denied wrongdoing and blasted an investigation that he claimed was unfair, illegal and racially motivated. His complaints illustrate the Legislature’s struggle to respond to growing demands for a change in a culture perceived as burying complaints and sheltering offenders.

“Removing senators from the process of deciding cases of sexual harassment involving their friends and roommates is imperative,” said Sen. Andy Vidak, a Republican who first moved to expel Mendoza in January. “The Mendoza mess has brought to light all of the flaws of our sexual harassment policies but hopefully will lead us to some resolution.”

The Legislature still hasn’t adopted fair and transparent policies for sexual misconduct four months after dozens of women who work at the Capitol sent a letter calling for a change in culture, said Samantha Corbin, a lobbyist and co-founder of a group called We Said Enough that formed in the wake of the letter.

“There’s a lot of room for interpretation, there’s a lot of ambiguity, and it does neither the victims nor the perpetrators any type of justice,” she said. “It’s unfair for everyone.”

Mendoza’s resignation was the best solution for the women who accused him of misconduct, but it hasn’t delivered justice or due process, Corbin said.

Leaders of the Legislative Women’s Caucus said more work remains to be done to ensure clear sexual harassment policies. Assemblywoman Susan Talamantes Eggman and Sen. Connie Leyva said the Legislature must ensure harassment claims are dealt with transparently and “no one is beyond reproach.”

Mendoza’s resignation letter was hand-delivered by an aide moments after the Senate Rules Committee lifted his suspension so he could return to the Capitol and publicly defend himself against expulsion. His photo was quickly removed from a wall showing the sitting lawmakers and replaced with the seal of the Senate.

Mendoza wrote that he wasn’t able to see the evidence against him and was ordered to remain silent about the allegations. He said he couldn’t get a fair hearing with so many of his fellow Democrats running for higher office and thinking about their own political futures.

Lawyers who conducted the investigation released Tuesday found that Mendoza “more likely than not” engaged in behavior such as offering a 19-year-old intern alcohol in a hotel suite at a Democratic event, suggesting a young woman in a Senate fellowship take a vacation with him and rent a room in his house, and asking several women about their romantic lives.

Mendoza, who is 46 and married, said in his resignation letter that “more likely than not” was a low standard of proof that didn’t merit a penalty as high as expulsion. He called the Senate’s process “farcical.”

Mendoza had taken leave and then days before he was set to return in January, the Senate Rules Committee suspended him because the independent investigation had not yet concluded.

He doesn’t plan to drop a lawsuit he filed last week seeking reinstatement. He alleged his suspension was unconstitutional, among other arguments.

Elected officials need to hold themselves to a higher standard, and the Senate doesn’t need to hold itself to the same standard as a court of law, said Kim Nalder, director of the Project for an Informed Electorate at California State University, Sacramento.

“So long as there’s a process that’s transparent and rigorous, that’s what we should expect of them.”

The Senate could be challenged again soon. An investigation has concluded into Sen. Bob Hertzberg, whom at least three female colleagues say made them uncomfortable with hugs. The findings have not been made public.

Two other Los Angeles-area Democratic representatives, Raul Bocanegra and Matt Dababneh, resigned last fall. Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia has taken leave after she was accused of groping.
California State Senator Tony Mendoza resigns after being investigated over sexual harassment claims.