Just the facts.
In December of 2023, Senator Alvarado-Gil fired her chief of staff, Chad Condit (of the Condit family, professional office holders). She did not like him complaining about sexual harassment.
A month ago she re-registered from Democrat to Republican.
After she re-registered the GOP tried to get local Republican leaders to meet with her—they refused. Then a ZOOM was called and only a few leaders participated—most did not.
Last week her former chief of staff filed a lawsuit against her for forcing him into sexual acts with her.
Now charges on a Federal level have been filed against her for violation of the First Amendment.
A city councilmember, from the District has already solidified GOP support against her.
California state senator who switched parties faces federal lawsuit for alleged First Amendment violation
Ashley Zavala, KCRA, 9/10/24 https://www.kcra.com/article/marie-alvarado-gil-federal-lawsuit-first-amendment/62123320?utm_medium=email&utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=CA%20homeless%20count%20is%20up%208%20%20from%202022&utm_campaign=WhatMatters
On the heels of a sexual harassment lawsuit filed last week against California state Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil, KCRA 3 has learned she is facing another lawsuit, this time in federal court.
In the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California on Aug. 14, Kelley Coelho alleged Alvarado-Gil violated her First Amendment rights after kicking her out of an event in Turlock earlier this summer.
According to the lawsuit, Alvarado-Gil directed law enforcement officials to abruptly remove Coelho from a press conference on June 21 on the release of a sexually violent predator in Turlock. Coelho told KCRA 3 in an exclusive interview on Monday that she was first allowed into the event until Alvarado-Gil intervened with little explanation.
According to emails between Coelho and Alvarado-Gil’s communications director reviewed by KCRA 3, Coelho was a confirmed attendee of the event.
Coelho is a private investigator who owns B and C Investigations. She said her firm was hired to help families in the Mountain View, Turlock and Ballico communities with sexually violent predator issues. Coelho told KCRA 3 on the day of the press conference, she and Alvarado-Gil were on the same side of the issue, protesting the planned release of a sexually violent offender in Stanislaus County. Coelho said Jack Griffith, who ran against Alvarado-Gil as a Republican in the state Senate primary in 2022, was also removed from the event at the senator’s insistence.
“They said we were not press, we were identified as not being press, and we needed to get out,” she said. “I asked, ‘What happened and why?’ and the individual who pulled me out specifically said Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil and her staff called us by name to be removed from the location.”
“I don’t know the reasons why,” Coelho told KCRA 3 in an interview when asked why the state senator would want her removed.
Coelho is representing herself in the lawsuit and seeking $5 million in damages. She said she is actively talking to lawyers who may take her case.
Alvarado-Gil recently switched her party affiliation from Democratic to Republican. She is facing a separate state lawsuit filed by her former chief of staff, Chad Condit, who accused her of sexual harassment, discrimination and other violations of state labor laws.
Coelho’s lawsuit was filed nearly two months after she first tried to file a formal ethics complaint with the California Senate Ethics Committee on June 24, according to emails reviewed by KCRA 3.
Despite Coelho’s emails, a spokesperson for state Sen. Dave Cortese, who leads the committee, said Monday afternoon the committee had not received any complaints against Alvarado-Gil.
“The Senate Committee on Legislative Ethics receives numerous inquiries from residents, all of which are assessed and, as appropriate, processed according to Senate Rule 12.3,” said Erin Peth, chief counsel of the Senate Committee on Legislative Ethics in a statement. “Under Senate Rule 12.3(b)(6), complaints and other records of the Committee are confidential. For that reason, we cannot provide the information requested.”
KCRA 3 has also reached out to Alvarado-Gil, the California State Senate Rules Committee and the state Senate’s Republican Caucus for comment but had not yet heard back as of Monday evening.
A court date has not yet been set in the case.
