(NOLA) - California Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman is facing calls to step down in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations.
Daraka Larimore-Hall, the state party's vice chairman, told The Washington Post that he sent a letter on Tuesday to the party's secretary calling for Bauman's removal after being approached by several party staff members who told him that they had been sexually harassed and assaulted by Bauman.
Larimore-Hall said he first filed a complaint with the party's human resources department and called on Bauman to step down. After Bauman refused, Larimore-Hall initiated the formal process of calling for Bauman to be ousted.
"In the days since the first brave souls have come forward, they have been joined by others with similar stories and experiences," Larimore-Hall said in the letter, calling the allegations "credible, corroborated and utterly heart-breaking."
He asked that Democrats "honor these survivors by respecting their desire to be left alone, (TRANSLATION: Keep it out of the media.) and in some cases to remain anonymous." A copy of the letter was leaked online Sunday; Larimore-Hall confirmed its contents.
Bauman has been California Democratic Party chairman since May 2017. He is the first openly gay person to lead the party in the state.
The California Democratic Party did not respond to requests for comment.
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