A California Assembly insider complains of crimes and gets fired. What happened? | Opinion
Cynthia Moreno had become an insider in the State Capitol, the press secretary for Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas of Hollister and the voice of one of Sacramento’s most influential leaders.
Now Moreno finds herself unemployed. The Assembly Rules Committee fired her in August for allegedly making inappropriate sexual comments and gave her a warning. “I remind you,” wrote an Assembly executive, “that the Assembly and the law prohibit retaliation…”
Moreno, in a lawsuit filed recently in Sacramento County Superior Court, says she was fired because she had repeatedly complained about sexual harassment in her office and then influence peddling and bribery by Rivas, and that she is the actual victim of retaliation.
By coming forward with her workplace grievances, Moreno “engaged in constitutionally protected activity,” her lawsuit says.
The courts may ultimately decide on these matters of law, the merits of Moreno’s explosive allegations about Rivas too early to judge.
But it is not too soon to question the process of handling multiple complaints surrounding Moreno. Its leaders have chosen to release limited, yet unflattering information about the former press secretary while keeping everything else secret. The Democrats appear to be circling the wagons, suggesting there is nothing here to question.
“Rivas’ campaign denies all allegations, calling Moreno’s complaints false, defamatory and meritless,” Elizabeth Ashford, a Rivas campaign spokesperson, told The Bee.
The Assembly Rules Committee says likewise.
“This complaint is a total fabrication, and I am confident that Ms. Moreno’s claims regarding ‘unethical or illegal practices’ by Speaker Rivas or his brother and complaints about current Assembly employees will be disproven in a court of law.”
For now, all that we know is that somebody with remarkable access to the Assembly Speaker complained through proper channels, was investigated and removed from government service.
How a sexual harassment complaint broadened
Moreno had been the public face of Rivas’ communications apparatus, emailing under her name the speaker’s latest missives to the press on a near daily basis into July. But privately, her lawsuit claims that in recent months, she was lodging a wave of complaints about her workplace and how Rivas was handling Assembly politics.
It started in May of last year, when Moreno’s lawsuit said she formally complained to Nick Miller, communications director for Rivas, that a former communications assistant, Spencer Hagaman, had perpetrated harassment. She filed a second complaint the next month.
The complaint went to the state’s Workplace Conduct Unit that now functions as a division under the Office of Legislative Council.
“Even though the Workplace Conduct Unit complaint concluded that the complaint against Mr. Hagaman was substantiated, Robert Rivas stripped (Moreno) of significant job responsibilities. For his part, Mr. Hagaman received several raises…,” Moreno’s lawsuit says.
Hagaman has since contradicted Moreno, saying he was cleared in the probe.
In January, Moreno dramatically expanded her complaints and aimed squarely at Rivas, alleging “unethical and illegal practices” by the speaker. As one example, Moreno detailed how Rivas’ campaign had funneled more than $200,000 in campaign funds to the speaker’s brother, Rick, who is the California vice president for the American Beverage Association (and who is known to work closely with the speaker).
Once Moreno or any employee begins to bring forward concerns about the workplace, the state labor code protects these whistleblowers from retaliation.
On Thursday, Lopez declined to say when the Assembly was alerted by someone wishing to remain anonymous that Moreno had made “a sexual remark” and engaged in “unprofessional commentary.” This, at some point, launched an investigation into Moreno’s language in the workplace that resulted in her dismissal.
“You made inappropriate comments of a sexual nature,” wrote Lopez to Moreno on August 6. “Such conduct is detrimental to the professional environment of the Assembly, its reputation and cannot, and will not, be tolerated by the Assembly.”
Will the Assembly seek a state audit?
Moreno is represented by a top legal gun in Sacramento, Ognian Gavilov. Moreno is seeking a trial, an apology, money, and a return to work.
Meanwhile in the Legislature, the ball is squarely in the court of Democrats.
When the Assembly and Senate want a truly independent investigation of an important matter from top outside experts, they enlist the California State Auditor. This happens when the Joint Committee on Legislative Audit meets and requests the Auditor to conduct a review.
It would be appropriate for the state Auditor to review the handling of Moreno.
And like past leaders in the Capitol, Rivas has demonstrated that he is not above retaliating against members of his caucus.
Earlier this year, he stripped Sacramento Assemblymember Maggy Krell of her bill that sought to increase penalties for predator adults soliciting underage sex workers. The move backfired, and Krell became a co-author when she refused to back down.
Rivas should welcome an outside audit if he truly did not retaliate against his press secretary in private. His standing, and that of the Assembly, are on the line.
This editorial has been updated to correct three inaccuracies: A complaint filed by Cynthia Moreno did not state that Moreno made an allegation of harassment against Spencer Hagaman. It stated that Moreno made an allegation of harassment “perpetrated” by Hagaman, but did not specify the target of the alleged harassment. Assemblymember Maggy Krell was not reinstated as the author of a sex solicitation bill after being removed from her legislation. She was a co-author. Also, the Workplace Conduct Unit is a separate state entity and not part of the Assembly.
This story was originally published September 5, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "A California Assembly insider complains of crimes and gets fired. What happened? | Opinion."