Former California Democratic Party chair Eric Bauman named in sexual assault lawsuit

Former California Democratic Party chairman is named in a lawsuit alleging harassment (Facebook)

The California Democratic Party was hit Wednesday with a lawsuit by a former employee who alleged that the party’s former chairman groped and sexually assaulted him.

William Floyd, who served an assistant to former CDP Chairman Eric Bauman, alleges in the lawsuit that his former boss performed oral sex on him without his consent on at least three occasions and threatened him – allegedly telling Floyd “If you cross me, I will break you.”

The 28-year-old Floyd's lawsuit seeks damages for lost income, emotional distress and pain and suffering, along with punitive damages and attorneys’ fees. The suit names the CDP and the Los Angeles County Democratic Party – arguing that the two parties did nothing to stop Bauman’s alleged behavior and retained him in “conscious disregard of the rights and well-being of others.”

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CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR RESIGNS AMID SEXUAL MISCONDUCT CLAIMS 

“We have not yet been formally served with this lawsuit and have only learned about the filing of it through media inquiries this evening,” said Neal S. Zaslavsky, Bauman’s attorney, according to the Los Angeles Times. “As with the other pending matter, Mr. Bauman will not be trying this case in the media. Mr. Bauman denies the allegations in the complaint and looks forward to complete vindication once the facts come out.”

Bauman resigned from his post as CDP chair last November amid a slew of sexual misconduct allegations leveled against him.

Bauman, who allegedly made sexually explicit comments while at work and sometimes touched staffers without permission, said it was “in everyone’s best interest” for him to step down from his post.

Multiple staffers said that Bauman, the party’s first openly gay chairman, would often make sexual comments to men and women at work.

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One woman told the newspaper Bauman said he wanted to have sex with her and suggested she would have been a gay man in a previous life.

Grace Leekley, a 21-year-old temporary worker in the party’s communications department, said she arranged for her own transportation when the party traveled around the state with candidates earlier this month because she did not want to be on a bus with Bauman.

At a lunch on the trip, she claimed Bauman asked her and another woman if they were having an affair in front of other colleagues. Although they said no, Bauman allegedly continued to press the pair.

Fox News' Matt Richardson contributed to this report.