Ex-Assembly press secretary sues Speaker Robert Rivas, alleging retaliation after reporting bribery
Former staffer Cynthia Moreno seeks rehiring, back pay and a public apology after filing ethics and harassment complaints
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A former press secretary for California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas filed a lawsuit Tuesday accusing the lawmaker of firing her in retaliation for reporting alleged bribery and other misconduct.
In a complaint filed in Sacramento County Superior Court, Cynthia Moreno says she submitted a complaint to the Legislature earlier this year accusing Speaker Rivas and his brother, political strategist Rick Rivas, of bribery and other ethical violations. Moreno also alleges she filed a separate report last year accusing a former staffer of sexual harassment.
Moreno says she was retaliated against after making the complaints: she alleges she was denied a pay raise, was falsely accused of misconduct and ultimately was terminated last month. The lawsuit quotes the complaint as saying, "Speaker Rivas retaliated against Ms. Moreno for reporting illegal, unethical, and harassing conduct. Speaker Rivas did not simply terminate Ms. Moreno’s employment, but used the power of his office to retaliate against her publicly."
The suit seeks a public apology, back pay and benefits and asks that Moreno be rehired to her former position in the Assembly. It was filed in the Superior Court for Sacramento County, where the state capital sits and where many public employee employment disputes are litigated.
The complaint names both Robert Rivas and his brother, Rick Rivas. According to the filing and related public records, Rick Rivas works as a political strategist. A message left and a text message sent to Rick Rivas seeking comment were not returned, the lawsuit notes.
The filing places Moreno's allegations in the context of internal legislative reporting procedures she says she used to raise concerns last year and earlier this year. It contends that the actions taken against her followed those reports and were designed to punish her for blowing the whistle on alleged illicit behavior.
The suit does not detail the specific nature of the alleged bribery or the alleged ethical violations beyond the references in the complaint. It also does not include a public response from Speaker Rivas's office in the filing attached to the court record.
Legal claims by former staffers against elected officials can trigger civil remedies under state employment and whistleblower statutes, but outcomes depend on facts established in court. Moreno's suit sets that process in motion by seeking judicial review of her termination and the alleged campaign of retaliation.
The case adds to a series of ethics and conduct disputes that have drawn scrutiny to state Capitol operations in recent years, as employees and former employees have increasingly used formal reporting channels and lawsuits to raise allegations. The Sacramento County court will determine whether Moreno's allegations have legal merit and what remedies, if any, are appropriate.