Who Is Matt Dababneh? Democrat California Lawmaker Accused Of Sexual Misconduct, Resigns

California Assemblyman Matt Dababneh, a Democrat, announced his resignation Friday, just days after three women accused him of sexual misconduct, including a lobbyist, who accused him of following her into a restroom of a hotel and allegedly masturbating in front of her.

The Democrat from Encino (Los Angeles County) is the second California state lawmaker to resign following sexual misconduct allegations and the third lawmaker in the Capitol to face such accusations from multiple women, this year.

Dababneh’s resignation is effective from Jan. 1, 2018 and comes even though he denied all the allegations and said that he believes an investigation will prove his innocence.

"To be absolutely clear, the allegations against me are not true," he wrote in a letter to Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon. "However, due to the current environment, I, unfortunately, do not believe I can serve my district effectively."

"Beyond the salacious headlines, I am confident that the completed investigation will bring to light and into focus the significant and persuasive evidence of my innocence," Dababneh wrote, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The most confronting of the allegations against Dababneh came from Sacramento lobbyist, Pamela Lopez, who said he pushed his way into a bathroom with her in January 2016 and attempted to get her to touch his exposed genitals as he allegedly masturbated.

Lopez also outlined the alleged incident in a letter to the Assembly committee that is responsible for handling misconduct complaints. The committee said it will continue its investigation into the allegation despite Dababneh's pending resignation, effective next year.

Jean Hyams, Lopez’s lawyer, mentioned this week that Lopez had not decided yet whether she would like to file a complaint with the police after publicly coming out about the alleged incident.

"Matt Dababneh’s resignation is yet another sign that the culture is changing," Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, (D-Lakewood, Los Angeles County), said in a statement. "The Assembly will continue our work to hasten that change, to make the Legislature an institution where people are safe, survivors are helped and perpetrators are held accountable."

The allegations against the California Assemblyman came after hundreds of women signed an open letter on Oct. 17 calling for an end to pervasive sexual harassment and sexual misconduct in the state Capitol. The open letter led to a campaign called "We Said Enough," which is working with the legislature to reform its sexual harassment policies.

"This second resignation in a matter of weeks further demonstrates the pervasiveness of the problem and the continued need for confidential reporting, whistle-blower protections and appropriate due process so that victims no longer have to litigate their issues in the press," the group "We Said Enough" said in a statement, San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Lopez stated that she wants the Legislature to keep working to "heal and restore" women who have been victimized. "We have a lot to do in order to put something in place that protects victims of sexual assault and sexual harassment," she added.