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A Sacramento lobbyist who was sued by former San Fernando Valley Assemblyman Matt Dababneh for defamation after she publicly accused him of sexual misconduct is seeking dismissal of the lawsuit.

Pamela Lopez announced on Thursday that she is filing a motion under California’s “anti-SLAPP” law, or “strategic lawsuit against public participation,” which protects a person exercising the right to free speech about an issue of public interest against being silenced through a lawsuit.

The action marks the latest development in the saga between Lopez and Dababneh, who resigned in December, one week after Lopez publicly accused him of forcing her into a bathroom in a Las Vegas hotel suite and masturbating in front of her.

Dababneh has denied the allegation and filed a defamation suit against Lopez in August, arguing her public accusation ruined his political career and reputation in his community. A legislative investigation by the Assembly made public soon after his lawsuit substantiated Lopez’s complaint. In a separate legal action filed earlier this month, Dababneh is seeking to compel the Assembly to make the investigation report public, a move his representatives said was in pursuit of full transparency around the findings.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.