‘Resign immediately’: San Diego County supervisor accused of sexual misconduct urged to quit
SAN DIEGO — San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond on Monday became the first board member to call for Nathan Fletcher to step down immediately, saying the accusations of sexual misconduct against the beleaguered supervisor detract from important county business.
“While this is a pending civil case, it’s clear that Mr. Fletcher should end his County employment immediately,” the Republican supervisor said in a statement in his newsletter, noting that Fletcher will keep being paid his county salary and benefits for weeks while he is absent.
Fletcher said last week that he would resign effective May 15. Desmond’s statement makes him the first board member to call for Fletcher’s immediate departure and marks a shift in the board’s previously cautious reaction to the scandal.
Despite their partisan differences, the supervisors have typically maintained a collegial, pragmatic approach to policies ranging from pandemic response to public safety. Most have taken a similarly guarded position on Fletcher’s alleged misconduct.
In his absence, taxpayers are on the hook for untold legal expenses, advocates are brooding over potential impacts to county business and nearly 700,000 people will have no representative on the county Board of Supervisors.
Board Chair Nora Vargas, a Democrat, said last week that she supported his resignation but did not urge him to expedite it. On Monday, she reiterated that the county would consider its options at its May 2 meeting but declined to respond to questions about Desmond’s remarks and the effective date of Fletcher’s resignation.
“Our board will follow the legal process provided by the charter and our board policy,” she said. “Together as a board we will decide the best direction and move our county forward.”
Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer, a Democrat, and Joel Anderson, a Republican, have not responded to questions about the allegations against Fletcher, his resignation or Desmond’s call for him to step down now.
Neither Fletcher, his office nor his attorney, Danielle Hultenius Moore, responded to questions Monday on Desmond’s statement, and Desmond did not respond to requests for additional comment.
Fletcher announced his plans to resign just days after he said he was taking medical leave for mental health issues and ending his state Senate campaign, and one day after the filing of a lawsuit that accused him of kissing and groping a Metropolitan Transit System employee while he led its board of directors.
A decade apart, two top San Diego politicians went down in flames following accusations of unwanted sexual contact
In a video message posted on Twitter, Desmond discussed “a crazy and disappointing week at the county,” and said the middle of next month is not soon enough.
“Supervisors do not have the power to remove someone, but he should not be getting paid by the taxpayers,” Desmond said.
Fletcher’s total annual pay as supervisor is $275,235 before taxes, including salary, a car allowance, and retirement and insurance contributions, according to the county. That amounts to $37,050 in total pay for the seven weeks from the start of his absence to the effective date of his resignation.
On March 26, Fletcher announced that he would enter treatment for alcohol abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder related to his childhood and his combat experience in the Marine Corps. He said he was ending his campaign for state Senate — a race in which he had broad backing from the Democratic establishment — but would return to his county position.
On Tuesday, however, a former MTS employee, Grecia Figueroa, filed a civil lawsuit alleging that Fletcher stalked her on social media, sent suggestive text messages, insisted on meeting her privately and then kissed and groped her in a hotel stairwell and an MTS meeting room. She said she was fired Feb. 6 in what she called retaliation, the same day Fletcher announced his bid to succeed state Sen. Toni Atkins, the state Senate president pro tem who faces term limits in 2024.
Board of Supervisors have the option of an appointment, calling a special election or both to fill his vacancy. All options are being discussed.
Fletcher acknowledged what he called “a terrible mistake engaging in consensual relations with someone outside my marriage” but denied the allegations of assault and harassment.
Public reaction swiftly turned from an outpouring of support for his decision to seek mental health treatment to disgust at the allegations and his delay in acknowledging them.
“It’s clear to me that this was a ruse to cover up for infidelity and the other alleged crimes,” Desmond said in his online video, adding that he did not believe the public should foot the bill for medical treatment related to his crisis. “Mr. Fletcher’s actions are causing unneeded distractions and he needs to resign immediately.”
Supervisors will decide how to fill the vacancy at their regular board meeting on May 2, Vargas said last week.
They can choose to appoint a replacement, hold a special election to fill the seat or a combination of those options.
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