The former mayor of a small town in northern California was found civilly liable Friday for allegedly sexually assaulting seven women.
Dominic Foppoli, who led the town of Windsor from late 2018 to 2021, was ordered to pay a combined $13 million in compensatory damages.
The payouts to the women, whose allegations span from 2001 to 2020, will range from $6,000 to $4,650,938 each, KTVU FOX 2 reported.
He could also have to pay punitive damages to the women. That phase of the civil trial will begin on Tuesday.
Foppoli has consistently denied all wrongdoing and has never been criminally charged in connection to the allegations. He stepped down as mayor in May 2021 after four women came forward to the San Francisco Chronicle to accuse him of sexual assault.
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The lawsuit, filed in April 2022, detailed allegations from seven Jane Does. Several women alleged Foppoli drugged their drinks before assaulting them, while Jane Doe 1 claimed he raped her dozens of times, including one alleged incident in which she said he handcuffed her to a bed.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, a total of 13 women have accused Foppoli of sexual assault or misconduct.
In 2024, the state attorney general’s office suspended its criminal investigation into Foppoli, saying prosecutors did not have enough evidence to warrant filing charges on the cases not barred by the statute of limitations at that time.
Foppoli testified during the civil trial, which began in July, again denying the allegations against him.
“I’ve been a terrible boyfriend and partner, cheating, selfish and egotistical, but I’ve never done any of those things I’m being sued for,” Foppoli said on the stand, according to KGO Eyewitness News.
The jury also found the Santa Rosa chapter of Active 20-30, an all-male charitable social club where Foppoli was a member, liable for Jane Doe 4’s alleged assault and awarded her an additional $2 million, the Chronicle reported.
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According to the lawsuit, the woman alleged Foppoli sexually assaulted her during the national Active 20-30 convention in Reno, Nevada, in June 2012. She also accused the organization of failing to investigate complaints she made to its leaders.
Traci Carrillo, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told Fox News Digital that the initial San Francisco Chronicle story “gave some of our clients a voice that no local news agency wanted to touch because it accused a powerful and connected local politician of crimes and sexual misconduct.”
“It took over 5 years to get them justice, which was always about accountability. Their trauma was real, and they were believed, not shamed or silenced in the courtroom,” Carrillo added. “They feel vindicated and will now focus on the much-needed healing the jury has provided for them.”
Foppoli’s attorney, Andrew Watters, said in a statement to Fox News Digital that he would seek a mistrial over claims that the court improperly excluded key witnesses for the defense. If that fails, Watters said he would pursue an appeal.
“What happened with the verdict was that the jury sent a message based on questionable self-reported evidence and junk science, and that’s not appropriate. It appears the passions of the jury were inflamed by the evidence, and they hated my client, so they made a very large award to punish and make an example of him,” Watters said in a statement.
Foppoli, speaking at a press conference outside the courthouse Friday, said his accusers “are trying to crucify me for a cause I’m not responsible for,” adding that they were motivated by the $13 million payout.
Foppoli still faces a separate lawsuit from Farrah Abraham, a social media influencer and former reality television personality who claims the ex-politician raped her in March 2021 at a house party in Florida. That civil case is expected to go to trial next year, according to court records.
The Chronicle reported that Christopher Creek Winery, which Foppoli owns, settled a separate lawsuit filed by a Montana woman who alleged Foppoli raped her multiple times in 2020 when she was 18.
