California Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil is facing a lawsuit from her former chief of staff, who has accused her of making him a "sex slave" and fostering a toxic work environment. The ex-employee, Chad Condit, filed the suit in Sacramento Superior Court on Thursday, alleging that Marie Alvarado-Gil coerced him into sexual acts and later dismissed him when he resisted, reported US news website Politico.
The New York Post reported that the "sexual acrobatics" that Condit was forced to perform as part of a “quid pro quo relationship”. The acts performed when they travelled for work left him with an injured back, Condit said.
Condit said both Marie Alvarado-Gil and the California State Senate violated employment laws. His lawsuit follows Alvarado-Gil's recent switch from the Democratic to the Republican Party, which she discussed in an August interview on Fox News, stating that she no longer identified with California's Democratic Party.
Alvarado-Gil’s office has not commented on the lawsuit, but her attorney, Ognian Gavrilov, labelled the accusations as baseless, stating, “This lawsuit is absurd. We will fight it and win.”
The Condit family is well-known in Central Valley politics. Chad Condit’s father, Gary Condit, a former congressman, became embroiled in controversy during the investigation into his intern Chandra Levy’s death, although he was never considered a suspect.
Condit’s legal filing recounts his initial connection with Alvarado-Gil in 2022 when he managed her successful state Senate campaign after losing his own primary bid for a California Assembly seat. Once Alvarado-Gil took office, she hired Condit as her chief of staff.
According to the lawsuit, Alvarado-Gil allegedly began “grooming” Condit, discussing personal matters about her marriage, drug use, and even questioning his fidelity to his wife. The senator allegedly expressed surprise that Condit wasn’t more like his father, who had been rumoured to have had extramarital affairs.
By early 2023, the lawsuit claimed Alvarado-Gil used Condit for non-work-related tasks, such as chauffeuring her children and looking after her dog. As their professional relationship continued, the lawsuit alleged, she escalated her advances, ultimately coercing Condit into unwanted sexual acts, during their travels.
Condit said that the final incident occurred in a car, during which he sustained injuries. A subsequent medical visit revealed herniated discs and a hip injury, requiring surgery. The lawsuit suggested that Condit’s rejection of Alvarado-Gil’s advances led to tensions, with her becoming displeased with him while continuing to make inappropriate remarks, sometimes in front of other employees.
The suit also includes a text message Alvarado-Gil allegedly sent to Condit, in which she commented on a colleague’s attractiveness, saying she would pursue him if she were single.
Condit further alleges that Alvarado-Gil retaliated against him by instigating disciplinary actions through the state Senate’s HR department and accusing him of infidelity to his wife. The suit also implicates Alvarado-Gil’s current chief of staff, Vanessa Bravo, who Condit claims supported the senator’s actions, reported Politico.
Condit was eventually terminated in December, which he attributes to Alvarado-Gil’s retaliation. The lawsuit names the California State Senate as a defendant, accusing the institution of enabling her behaviour. The Secretary of the Senate, Erika Contreras, stated that while the Senate has not been served with the lawsuit, it is reviewing the matter but cannot comment on pending litigation.
Condit is seeking financial compensation for lost wages, emotional distress, and damage to his professional reputation.