The Senate investigation did not substantiate Ruelas’ claim that she and two others were fired in retaliation for reporting Mendoza’s alleged behavior and other problems. Mendoza was among four state lawmakers in California who were accused of sexual harassment and voluntarily gave up their seats in the Legislature. The following August, The Times reported that the lawmaker was the subject of two sexual harassment complaints at the time he stepped down . Both houses of the Legislature committed to changing their policies to investigate sexual harassment claims after questions were raised about how the institution treated whistleblowers and responded to complaints. The scandals also inspired the Legislature to pass a law in 2018 to protect legislative staff who speak out about misconduct.

Source: Los Angeles Times February 06, 2020 12:56 UTC