An attorney for the utility company lobbyist identified in media reports as ex-Assemblyman Mike Duvall's mistress issued a statement today saying that the woman is exploring legal remedies for the personal and professional damages caused by allegations that she had an affair with the former lawmaker.
Duvall, who is married, resigned in September after a recording surfaced in which he is heard bragging about having sex with two women. Sempra Energy lobbyist Heidi Dejong Barsuglia, whose employer said she denied having an affair, was identified in media reports and in a complaint to the Fair Political Practices Commission as one of the women referred to in the tape. Duvall has also since said his resignation was not an admission that he had an affair, but a reflection of "inappropriate storytelling."
Barsuglia said in the statement that the ordeal has been "a professional and personal nightmare."
"I did nothing whatsoever illegal or unethical with former Assemblyman Duvall or anyone else. What is shocking to me and my family is that anyone would have taken seriously the statements of someone boasting about his alleged exploits or even believed for a moment that they were true," she said in the statement.
The statement came shortly following an announcement that the U.S. Attorney's Office would not file charges in connection with the comments. The California Attorney General's Office and the Fair Political Practices Commission also said there was not sufficient evidence to investigate whether any laws were broken by the actions described in the tapes.
"I am now pleased to be able to say publicly that, the United States Attorney, the FBI, the FPPC and my employer have all carefully examined the facts and found no violation of legal or ethical standards," she said in the statement, which also says she is looking forward to returning to work.
Barsuglia's attorney Malcolm Segal said in the statement that his client "has been defamed in monumental proportions."
"Her reputation, her job, and her exemplary career have all been placed in jeopardy by Duvall's disgusting remarks. Sadly, his recorded comments were clearly made in a way which lead people to believe that she was the subject of his conversation and his statements after the tape became public did very little to correct the situation," he said. "Just so there is no doubt left in anyone's mind what Mr. Duvall later called 'inappropriate storytelling' was just a plain old-fashioned lie."
Sempra Energy issued a statement saying that it has concluded its investigation and that Barsuglia, who was on leave, will be returning to work.
"Consistent with the outcome of the government investigations and Sempra Energy's own investigation, we have closed our review of this personnel matter and reinstated our employee to active status," the statement reads.
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.