Assemblyman Devon Mathis (R-Visalia) is facing accusations of sexual assault assault, first reported upon by a conservative blogger with the group American Children First.
Joseph Turner, director of the group, reached out to the Voice Thursday morning to report he had witness statements that Mathis had, allegedly, sexually assaulted one of his staffers in the spring of 2016.
Turner states that he submitted those statements, and a letter, to the Sacramento District Attorney’s office. He also wrote about the allegations on his American Children First blog.
Turner claims he received confirmation later Thursday afternoon from the DA’s public information officer that the documents had been received.
The Fresno Bee reported that, “Officer Linda Matthew of the Sacramento Police Department said Friday evening that “information of a possible sexual assault was brought to our attention. We are starting to follow up with the information we have.”
Other outlets have confirmed an ongoing investigation as well.
In a press release, American Children First stated that it is an “American nationalist organization that subscribes to an ‘America First’ philosophy,” and that Turner, its founder , “has waged an aggressive and extremely successful war against the California Republican Party establishment and a group of moderate ‘Republican in Name Only’ legislators that voted for a cap and trade bill.”
Mathis voted in favor of the cap and trade legislation, a decision he has previously received criticism for.
“A political party is supposed to stand for something and votes must have consequences. We will
continue to punish those who betray us and abandon those principles,” Turner said in the group’s press release.
