California Democratic Party official resigns after rape, misconduct allegations

A regional director has resigned from California's Democratic Party following accusations of rape and inappropriate behavior.

Craig Cheslog, 46, allegedly “acted in an inappropriate and sexually aggressive manner” toward a fellow party member after an executive board meeting Nov. 18, according to a letter sent Nov. 29 by Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman and other leaders to the party's secretary, the Los Angeles Times reported.

“The level to which this activity advanced made a number of those in attendance uncomfortable,” read the letter, which called for Cheslog to step down, the paper reported.

In addition, another member reported that "Mr. Cheslog raped her at a CDP executive board meeting the previous year," according to the letter. She was not named in the letter.

Maddy Dean later revealed herself to the Times as being the woman who reported Cheslog of rape. She wrote in a Facebook post that she “came forward to protect others, so this has always been about more than just me.”

“Young people deserve an inclusive and safe environment in which to engage in politics. We deserve transparency during these investigations in our workplaces. We deserve to be heard, not silenced, by those who decide our futures,” she added.

Following the allegations, Cheslog wrote to party secretary Jenny Bach that he was resigning so he wouldn’t become a “distraction” for the party, adding that he was “confident” he would ultimately be exonerated, the Times reported.

Chelsog has since been fired from his job at the nonprofit organization, Common Sense Media, and has resigned from a school district's board of trustees, the paper reported.

Ironically, the alleged inappropriate behavior took place during a weekend in which preventing sexual harassment was a main topic of discussion, the Times reported.

Carolyn Phinney, a former party member, claimed in her October resignation letter that Cheslog and other party leaders forced her out after she stopped offering support for Cheslog, the East Bay Times reported.

Editor's note: This story, published Dec. 21, corrects a previous version that appeared Dec. 17, which cited incorrect information from the East Bay Times. That paper later explained that its original story incorrectly identified Maddie Dean as a 23-year-old woman against whom Craig Cheslog was allegedly seen acting in a sexually aggressive manner. But that woman has not been identified. Dean accused Cheslog of sexually assaulting her in San Diego last year, the Times clarified.