City Councilman Jose Huizar Tuesday strongly denied allegations in a lawsuit by a former aide who claims he retaliated against her for voicing concerns over an affair he was allegedly having and for speaking out against what she called legal and ethical violations.
Mayra Alvarez served as Huizar's executive assistant and scheduler for about three years, but contends in her lawsuit that she left in July because she was demoted after returning from maternity leave.
Alvarez alleges that Huizar frequently asked her to alter his official calendar entries in order to conceal the nature of his meetings from public scrutiny, and that city staff were directed to work on the campaign of his wife, Richelle.
Richelle Huizar announced last month that she is running to replace her husband when his term expires in 2020, but the lawsuit contends that planning for her potential bid began more than a year ago "on the city's time and dime."
The complaint also alleges that Alvarez was retaliated against for voicing concern over an affair Huizar was allegedly having with another staffer, although it does not identify the woman involved. Huizar previously admitted to an affair with a former staffer, Francine Godoy, who sued him for harassment and retaliation in 2013. Huizar admitted the affair but denied any harassment.
Huizar called Alvarez's suit "absolute nonsense" that includes "outlandish accusations that are completely false."
"It is nothing more than a hit piece orchestrated by political operatives who seek to undermine all the good work I've accomplished on behalf of my constituents," Huizar said in a statement. "I find it suspicious that these claims have surfaced now when my wife has announced her candidacy for my seat. This further supports that this is politics at its worst."
The complaint, which was filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, says Alvarez began working for Huizar as an intern in 2010 while she was still in high school, then came back to work for Huizar after high school, rising through the ranks until being promoted to his executive assistant and scheduler in 2015.
The complaint alleges Huizar would direct Alvarez to alter his calendar entries to conceal the nature of his meetings from public scrutiny.
"Huizar did not want the media or general public to know that he was meeting with certain lobbyists and developers -- particularly when their particular issue or project was soon to be considered by the City Council or the Planning and Land Use Management Committee (which Huizar chairs)," according to the complaint. "Those meetings were, of course, often followed close in time by donations to Huizar's campaign coffers."
The complaint also claims Huizar "unreasonably and unjustifiably" increased Alvarez's workload, became "bitterly impatient with the speed with which she was completing assignments, and unsympathetically criticized Mrs. Alvarez for taking time off to attend prenatal appointments."
The complaint says Huizar required his city staffers to conduct meetings to plan his wife's campaign during city work hours and on city property. It also claims Huizar directed his staffers to create a secret email address for Richelle Huizar through which they could communicate with her and share his city calendar with her.
"Mrs. Alvarez did not believe that ethics laws permitted city staffers to engage in campaign activities for Huizar's wife while on city time, but was compelled by Huizar to do so nonetheless," the complaint says.
The complaint also alleges Huizar's affair "caused friction in the office amongst many staffers, Mrs. Alvarez among them, particularly because many believed that Huizar's mistress received more favorable treatment from him with respect to assignments and more leniency with respect to deadlines and attendance."
According to the complaint, Huizar demoted Alvarez following her return from maternity leave, moving her from his executive assistant to front desk duties.
Huizar faced other serious allegations in 2013 when Godoy, his former deputy chief of staff, sued him and the city.
Godoy alleged that her former boss offered to support her in an election campaign in exchange for sex. She claimed she declined to provide sexual favors, leading to a pattern of discrimination and retaliation that included Huizar withdrawing his support for Godoy's bid for a seat on the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees.
A report from the city's Special Committee on Investigative Oversight on Godoy's accusations concluded there was no evidence of wrongdoing by Huizar.
Huizar also denied the allegations, although he admitted that he and Godoy had a "consensual" relationship that he "deeply regrets."
Huizar privately settled the lawsuit in 2014, although the terms were not disclosed. The lawsuit did not significantly harm his standing in his district and he was easily reelected in 2015 despite a challenge from Gloria Molina, a former county supervisor and city council member.
Huizar also was the focus of a discrimination complaint that was received in June by the city through MyVoiceLA, Mayor Eric Garcetti's new website for staffers, city commissioners and others to report workplace bias.
The identity of Huizar's accuser is not known, nor or any further details of the complaint, as the website is designed for accusers' identities to be protected. The Special Committee on Investigative Oversight is looking into the accusations.
Terrence Jones, an attorney representing Alvarez, told City News Service his client is not the same person who filed the MyVoiceLA complaint. Huizar told City News Service last month he was unaware of the details of the complaint and could not comment on it.
"I can say that I take great pains to ensure that my staff and I conduct city business in a professional environment and treat all employees and visitors with the utmost dignity and respect," Huizar said. "Given that, I am quite frankly confounded under what basis anyone would have to file a legitimate complaint. Obviously, I take this matter seriously and look forward to a full, transparent and expeditious resolution."
Huizar has served on the City Council since 2005 but is prevented from running again due to term limits when his current term expires in 2020.
