L.A. County candidates will remain defendants in former campaign volunteer's lawsuit

Two candidates from Los Angeles County running for state and local offices will remain defendants in a lawsuit alleging they are financially responsible for the sexual abuse of an underage volunteer who worked on their campaigns, a judge ruled Thursday.

Efren Martinez, who is running for a seat representing South Los Angeles in the California Assembly, and Graciela Ortiz, a candidate for L.A. school board, were under fire this year after the civil lawsuit was filed. The campaign worker accused of the abuse, Billy Valdivia, pleaded no contest to sexual misconduct with the volunteer.

Both the perpetrator and victim were involved in campaign work in 2021 for Ortiz and Martinez, according to the suit, filed on Jan. 9 in L.A. County Superior Court.

Judge Lee W. Tsao ruled Friday morning that the plaintiff’s attorney should have an opportunity to prove that Martinez’s alleged negligence in hiring, training and supervising Valdivia was a “substantial factor” in the harm inflicted on the volunteer, a female high school student.




https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-10-11/candidate-for-assembly-seat-in-south-los-angeles-name-removed-from-civil-lawsuit