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State Sen. Joel Anderson reprimanded for ‘completely unacceptable’ behavior toward female lobbyist

State Sen. Joel Anderson (R-Alpine) speaks at the Capitol in Sacramento in August.
(Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)
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State Sen. Joel Anderson (R-Alpine) was reprimanded by the Senate this week after an investigation found he probably threatened to “bitch slap” a female lobbyist, according to documents released on Tuesday.

Stephanie Roberson, a lobbyist with the California Nurses Assn., filed a complaint in Augustalleging that Anderson threatened and made harassing comments to her at a Capitol-area bar.

The resulting legislative investigation found that Anderson had consumed alcoholic drinks in the lead-up to the encounter and that during the course of his interaction with Roberson, he likely became “increasingly agitated.”

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The investigative report said Anderson likely said “I oughta bitch slap you,” or a similar phrase, at least twice. While the investigation said Anderson did not attempt to physically strike Roberson, it did note that two individuals physically intervened after his comment.

The Senate Rules Committee determined Anderson violated the Senate Code of Conduct.

“Your behavior was completely unacceptable,” Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) wrote in the letter of reprimand.

Anderson, who is termed out of the Senate, is currently running for the Board of Equalization.

At the time the complaint was filed, Anderson said he regretted his word choice “which was not directed at [Roberson].”

“As the report states, at issue was the context of our conversation,” Anderson said in a statement on Tuesday. “The investigation doesn’t substantiate all the wild claims reported in the press, and I stand by my original statement.”

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