Calls intensified Friday for Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli to resign. Every colleague in the city’s elected council and the North Bay’s two congressional representatives said the young winemaker could not continue to lead following a Chronicle investigation into allegations of sexual assault by four women.
“These multiple, confirmed reports point to a pattern of predatory sexual misconduct that is deplorable and totally unacceptable,” Rep. Jared Huffman of San Rafael and Mike Thompson of St. Helena, both Democrats, wrote in a joint statement. “It’s not possible for Mr. Foppoli to remain credible or effective in the Windsor council. We appeal to him to resign immediately. ‘
The fascination came when Foppoli lost the support of his main political ally, Windsor councilor Debora Fudge. Fudge, a longtime friend and mentor of Foppoli, demanded that he resign without delay in a long and blistering statement on her Facebook page Friday.
“He’s not a leader, he’s a predator … and he has to go – now,” Fudge wrote.
The 38-year-old Foppoli, who denied the allegations through a lawyer on Wednesday and has since stopped responding to requests for comment, usually spoke out loud on social media when Windsor saw witnesses and protests. Someone put a copy of Thursday’s print edition of The Chronicle, on which the investigation into Foppoli appeared on its front page, on the sign of the city of Windsor.
Chronicle Investigation: Dominic Foppoli
“Throw the wine down, it’s time to resign!” rallies rumbled on the northeast corner of Old Redwood Highway and Lakewood Drive, where the sign sits. A steady stream of drivers rumbled their support.
The Chronicle investigation, which was first published online on Thursday morning, documented four women’s allegations that Foppoli had drunk them after nights of drinking and sexually assaulted them. The alleged assaults took place between 2003 and 2019 and ranged from assault to rape.
In addition, The Chronicle received a copy of an email describing alleged sexual misconduct by Foppoli, which was sent to Fudge in 2017 when she was the mayor of Windsor and Foppoli the deputy mayor. The complainant – whose name was derived by Windsor officials – said Foppoli tried to remove the bathing suit of a woman who rented the guesthouse from his winery for a birthday celebration, among other allegations.
Some people held up signs with the caption “#FireFudge” during the rally.
Fudge declined to comment on the Chronicle investigation. On Friday, in her Facebook post, she said she and other officials responded appropriately to the complaint.
“I followed Town’s policies and procedures and immediately forwarded the email to Windsor’s City Manager and City Attorney (both of whom have since moved or retired),” Fudge said. ‘I rely on the city manager and city attorney, who informed the other councilors of the email received. The city manager and city attorney investigated. I respond quickly to the accuser and thank her for her courage to come forward. ”
Foppoli, who described Fudge as his mentor in public meetings, was nominated by Fudge when the city council appointed him mayor in 2018. This past November, voters elected Foppoli as mayor in Windsor’s first election for the post. He is the co-owner of Christopher Creek Winery on the outskirts of Healdsburg.
Through his lawyer, Bethany Kristovich of Los Angeles, Foppoli “categorically” denied all the allegations described in The Chronicle investigation.
“Sexual assault and sexual misconduct are very serious issues, and Mr Foppoli takes these allegations very seriously,” Kristovich said. ‘He has a long history of supporting women in his business, personal and political lives, and the accusation that he was guilty of one of these atrocities is very worrying. Mr. Foppoli is proud that he wants to improve the lives of all his constituents, and he will continue to uphold the fundamental value of treating everyone with respect. ”
More than a dozen elected leaders – including the mayor of every city in Sonoma County – called on Foppoli to resign within 24 hours of The Chronicle publishing its investigation. And both the League of California Cities and the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors have said they are continuing efforts to remove Foppoli from two positions he recently acquired outside of Windsor.
The Russian River Winegrowers Association announced Friday afternoon that it has begun terminating Christopher Creek Winery as a member. Joe Foppoli, Dominic’s brother and co-owner of Christopher Creek, served on the board of the wine industry group; he was asked to resign and accept.
“As an organization, we feel we need to respond vigorously to these allegations,” said Clark Lystra, president of the board of directors. “The allegations have been confirmed in detail, and it is very disturbing.”
In addition, Christopher Creek Winery has been suspended from all programs and activities of Sonoma County Vintners and Sonoma County Vintners Foundation, officials said Friday.
Active 20-30, a national civic organization to which Foppoli belongs for at least a decade, announced late Thursday that he had suspended the mayor. One of Foppoli’s defendants, Allison Britton, told The Chronicle he sexually assaulted her in 2012 at the National Congress of Active 20-30 in Reno.
These developments took place amid a thriving criminal investigation into the allegations against Foppoli, and amid community members’ plans for the Friday afternoon rally to rally support for Foppoli’s recall.
‘Our council was deeply disturbed by the seriousness and seriousness of these allegations, and was of the opinion that the removal of membership and expulsion from our organization was the only outcome that would allow the way for others to emerge. to begin the healing process, ”said Jason Balatti, president of the Active 20-30 Club of Santa Rosa, in a statement posted on Facebook late Thursday.
Balatti said Foppoli had been expelled from the organization since March 29, when officers said they first heard about the upcoming Chronicle investigation and Foppoli’s alleged assault on Britton. The national organization is conducting an internal investigation that will continue despite the eviction of Foppoli, Balatti said.
Foppoli has just been appointed to the board of directors of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District this week to represent Sonoma County residents in the operation of the bridge and bus and ferry services in the district.
Supervisor Lynda Hopkins said Friday that the Sonoma County board can and wants to take a vote next Tuesday on our approval of the appointment. ‘
“I will vote to revoke the approval of the appointment,” Hopkins said in a Facebook post. “I stand in solidarity and agree with all eight other Sonoma County mayors who have publicly called on Dominic Foppoli to resign immediately from all elected and nominated positions.”
Hopkins continued: ‘If Mr. Foppoli does not choose to resign, I trust that the leaders and voters of our community will take all necessary actions to deprive him of his authority. We cannot reward sexual predators with force. ”
Hopkins will get support during the vote on Tuesday from Superintendent David Rabbitt, who is also a board member for the bridge district, and who earlier told The Chronicle that he had sent a notice to the district chairman to ask for the revoking appointment of Foppoli.
The League of California Cities executive committee unanimously voted Friday night to remove Foppoli from his post as second vice president for Cal Cities mayors and councilors.
“The conduct described in the allegations has no place in the Cal Cities organization, and although the allegations are being investigated, we need to lead by example,” officials said in an email.
As the rally continued in Windsor on Friday night, a woman who told The Chronicle that Foppoli raped her in 2004, when she was 18, overtook her husband in a car in front of the crowd.
“It was strange,” she said, “to partially wrap my head around me.”
The woman said she cried and rolled through her window to shout out her support.
Sanica Chronicle staff photographer Jessica Christian contributed to this story.
Alexandria Bordas and Cynthia Dizikes are authors of San Francisco Chronicle staff. Email: [email protected], [email protected] Twitter: @crossingbordas, @cdizikes