Tony Mendoza, a former East Los Angeles elementary school teacher who moved swiftly from local to state government elected offices, resigned from the California Senate on Thursday as his colleagues moved to formally expel him after a series of sexual misconduct accusations.
The resignation was the culmination of an almost three-month saga that saw the Democrat stridently deny any improper conduct, all while accusing his fellow legislators of unfair treatment. He becomes the third state legislator to resign in the wake of allegations that have shaken the state Capitol community.
His resignation was announced just minutes before senators were poised to consider a debate on either expelling him or suspending him without pay for the rest of the year.
Mendoza submitted a fiery resignation letter moments before lawmakers were set to debate his fate, taking aim at Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León, who he said “will not rest until he has my head on a platter to convince the MeToo movement of his ‘sincerity’ in supporting the MeToo cause.
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