SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A State Senator is now answering to a lawsuit against her, filed in September by her former chief of staff.
She accuses her former staffer of embezzling and threatening her at a party. He accuses the Senator of sexual harassment, including forcing him to perform oral sex on her, and retaliating against him.
State Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil (R-Jackson) was first in the spotlight this year back in August, for switching from the Democratic to Republican party less than two years into her four-year term, citing ideological differences with the Democratic Party.
Alvarado-Gil represents State Senate District 4, which stretches from Truckee down to Inyo County and Stanislaus County to the eastern edge of the state.
About one month after announcing she switched parties, Alvarado-Gil’s former chief of staff, Chad Condit, filed a civil lawsuit against her and the state, seeking financial compensation and alleging sexual harassment, creating a hostile work environment, discrimination, retaliation and more.
Condit says he worked on Alvarado-Gil’s campaign and - after winning – she hired him as her chief of staff.
Condit’s allegations include Alvarado-Gil pressuring him into performing oral sex on her on multiple occasions and that – in the final instance – he suffered a back injury that included three herniated discs and a collapsed hip.
He said he made it “very clear” the lawmaker’s “further advances and attention were not welcome” and that Alvarado-Gil “went to the Secretary of the Senate in or about August 2023 to get [Condit] fired as punishment and retaliation.”
Condit says Alvarado-Gil lied to his wife, saying Condit was seeing someone else.
Condit was fired in December of 2023.
His lawsuit says “Alvarado-Gil engaged in erratic, controlling, sexually dominating abuse of authority and power” and that Condit’s “personal and professional relationships were forever altered, and his employment record and opportunities in public employment are irreparably damaged.”
On Tuesday this week, Alvarado-Gil’s attorneys filed a response to Condit’s lawsuit, outright denying Condit’s sexual allegations, including harassment or trying to fire him in any kind of retaliation. She also denies saying anything about an affair to Condit’s wife.
In a statement to ABC10, Alvarado-Gil’s attorney Alden Parker said, “[Tuesday] the Senator filed an answer denying the baseless and salacious allegations filed by the Plaintiff in his Complaint. At this time, the litigation is proceeding, however the Senator wishes to reiterate that the claims made by the Plaintiff are false and we are certain that as we proceed, the truth will prevail on behalf of the Senator.”
Her response mentions Condit’s “serious back injury” but does not mention how that injury happened—other than to say she was not the cause.
Further, the response alleges, Alvarado-Gil was at one point “concerned about [Condit's] consistent drinking and possible illicit drug use" and that he appeared “to be under the influence of alcohol and drugs to mask the pain of his injury…without a doctor’s direction.”
She said Condit became belligerently drunk at a holiday party last December and “ended up in the bathroom with his pants down, yelling loudly.”
Alvarado-Gil then told him “she no longer wanted him to be her Chief of Staff. Upon hearing that news, [Condit] loudly yelled at and threatened the life of [Alvarado-Gil],” who “believed her safety to be at risk.”
“Later,” the document says, “[Alvarado-Gil] learned [Condit] had embezzled approximately $50,000.00 from her campaign.”
Condit’s attorney released a statement to ABC10 saying, "That Sen. Alvarado-Gil would raise these allegations against Mr. Condit, for the first time, after being accused of abusing her power and committing wanton repeated sexual harassment in the workplace, speaks to her motives and lack of credibility. This appears to be another attempt by the Senator to retaliate against Mr. Condit and cause him and his family further harm for daring to stand up to her and blow the whistle on the Senator’s misconduct."
Alvarado-Gil, again, denies the sexual behavior and says the state of California – not she, herself – was Condit’s employer.
The Secretary of the Senate tells ABC10 they have no further comment beyond what they told us back in September, which is that the Senate is "in discussions with counsel to assess the next steps” and that “the Senate takes all complaints incredibly seriously, but is unable to comment on matters involving pending litigation."
(Editor's Note: This article has been updated with a statement from Condit's attorney.)
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