Windsor officials respond to mayor's resignation amid new sex assault allegation by reality star
"He should have done the right thing a long time ago."
WINDSOR, Calif. (KGO) -- In normally quiet Windsor, there was a prolonged and mutual sigh of relief as Dominic Foppoli resigned as mayor.
"He should have done the right thing a long time ago," said town council member Debora Fudge.
"What is the damage he has done?" we asked Vice Mayor Sam Salmon.
"Trust. And damage to victims," he said.
RELATED: 7th woman accuses Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli of sexual assault
It has been six weeks since the first charge of sexual misconduct by eight women who include town council member Esther Lemus. "There is still a pending investigation I will not talk about."
Now a possible 9th victim has emerged. Farrah Abraham, formerly of the "Teen Mom" reality TV show, filed charges on April 2 in Palm Beach, Florida. Her attorney says she has proof on video.
"I have no doubt that she is making these allegations in an attempt to leverage the situation to her advantage," said the former mayor in a letter Friday.
However, on April 2, none of the charges against Foppoli had been published by the San Francisco Chronicle, which broke this story. "I think factually it is not true. There was no bandwagon at that time," said Vice Mayor Salmon.
"It's more of the same but this sounds more serious," said council member Fudge.
"I hold my head high because I know I have done nothing wrong and will be legally cleared," Foppoli stated in a six-hour council meeting on April 14 during which he refused to step down despite blistering vitriol during public comments.
In the weeks since, pressure for him to resign reached a figurative boiling point.
A recall movement began. The mayor would not budge until now.
"I think the new charges had something to do with it," said Vice Mayor Salmon.
Town leaders say Windsor can put this behind them.
Relief for Foppoli's alleged victims may linger.
"It is time for us to heal and to move on," said Esther Lemus.
Foppoli's attorney, Orchid Vaghti, said in a statement to ABC7's Cornell Barnard on Friday:
To the Residents of Windsor:
It is with a heavy heart that I am resigning, effective today. I have always and will always maintain that I did not engage in any non-consensual sexual acts with any woman. I recently learned that a woman in Palm Beach, Florida is accusing me of non-consensual acts while I was visiting there in March of this year. She made her allegations after she learned of the April 8, 2021 San Francisco Chronicle story. I have no doubt she is making these allegations in an attempt to leverage the situation to her advantage.
It has been an honor to be your Mayor. I love Windsor. I do not want undue national attention to have a negative impact on the Windsor community because of lawful, but poor choices, I have made in the recent past. Windsor should continue to thrive, and I believe that at this juncture, stepping down is the best way to ensure that Windsor flourishes, unimpeded by the unfortunate distraction these exploitative allegations will cause.
I know that I will eventually be cleared of all wrongdoing, but I have come to appreciate that it will take time. It is no longer fair for me to remain in my position during this time period. I want the best for Windsor, as I always have.
Yours truly,
Dominic Foppoli
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- Windsor mayor responds after multiple women accuse him of sexual assault
