Ex-California Mayor Found Liable for Sexual Assault Allegations Against Multiple Women

Dominic Foppoli, former mayor of Windsor, California, was found civilly liable for allegedly sexually assaulting seven women. A court ordered him to pay a total of $13 million in compensatory damages. The payments will range from $6,000 to $4,650,938 per victim, spanning incidents from 2001 to 2020, according to KTVU FOX 2. He may also face punitive damages, with that phase of the trial starting soon.

Foppoli, who served as mayor from late 2018 to 2021, denies all allegations and has not faced criminal charges. He resigned in May 2021 after initial allegations emerged. The lawsuit, initiated in April 2022, involves claims from seven women known as Jane Does. Some accusers described being drugged, and one woman alleged repeated rape.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that 13 women have accused Foppoli of misconduct. A 2024 state attorney general investigation was suspended due to insufficient evidence for criminal charges.

During the civil trial, Foppoli admitted to being “a terrible boyfriend” but denied the lawsuits’ claims. The jury also held the Santa Rosa chapter of Active 20-30, a group Foppoli was part of, accountable for one woman’s assault, awarding her an additional $2 million.

The accusations include incidents at a national Active 20-30 convention in 2012. Complaints to the organization were allegedly ignored. Plaintiffs’ lawyer Traci Carrillo emphasized the significance of the initial news story in bringing attention to the victims’ experiences and securing justice after years of silence.

Foppoli’s lawyer, Andrew Watters, plans to seek a mistrial, arguing key defense witnesses were excluded. If unsuccessful, he intends to appeal, criticizing the verdict as influenced by unreliable evidence.

Foppoli faces another lawsuit from Farrah Abraham, accusing him of rape at a Florida party in 2021, with trial expected next year. His winery reached a settlement with another accuser over alleged 2020 incidents. Foppoli maintains his accusers are pursuing financial gain through the lawsuit.