Facing allegations of sexual harassment from numerous women, Los Angeles Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra (D-Pacoima) announced today he was resigning effective immediately.
Unlike other public figures accused of sexual misbehavior, Bocanegra did not take responsibility or apologize to his accusers.
"I believed in our system of ‘innocent until proven guilty’ and that the truth would come out clearing my name and reputation," Bocanegra wrote on his Facebook page. "But clearly, the principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty’ has been temporarily lost in a hurricane of political opportunism among the self-righteous in my case -- to the detriment of both the accuser and the accused."
Bocanegra went on to proclaim his innocence, saying: "It is my hope that in taking this action we can help clear the path so that women and men who have been truly victims of sexual assault and workplace harassment can step forward and get justice for any crimes committed against them. While I am not guilty of any such crimes, I am admittedly not perfect."