A regional director has resigned from California's Democratic Party following accusations of rape and inappropriate behavior.
Craig Cheslog, 46, allegedly “acted in an inappropriate and sexually aggressive manner” toward a 23-year-old woman after an executive board meeting Nov. 18, according to a letter that party leaders sent to the party's secretary, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Maddy Dean, who was not mentioned in the letter, later revealed herself to the Times as being the woman who accused Cheslog of acting in a sexually aggressive manner. She wrote in a Facebook post that she “came forward to protect others, so this has always been about more than just me.”
“Young people deserve an inclusive and safe environment in which to engage in politics. We deserve transparency during these investigations in our workplaces. We deserve to be heard, not silenced, by those who decide our futures,” she added.
Meanwhile, a second woman, who remains anonymous, reportedly witnessed Cheslog's alleged behavior toward Dean and came forward with her own accusation, “that Mr. Cheslog raped her at a CDP executive board meeting the previous year," according to the letter.
Following the allegations, Cheslog wrote to party secertary Jenny Bach that he was resigning so he wouldn’t become a “distraction” for the party, adding that he was “confident” he would ultimately be exonerated, the Times reported.
Chelsog has since been fired from his job at the nonprofit organization, Common Sense Media, and has resigned from a school district's board of trustees, the paper reported.
Ironically, the alleged inappropriate behavior took place during a weekend in which preventing sexual harassment was a main topic of discussion, the Times reported.
Carolyn Phinney, a former party member, claimed in her October resignation letter that Cheslog and other party leaders forced her out after she stopped offering support for Cheslog, the East Bay Times reported.
