Dominic Foppoli responds to Sonoma County lawsuit alleging sexual misconduct

Former Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli has submitted a standard denial of all allegations outlined in a Sonoma County Superior Court lawsuit filed by a group of women who accuse him of using his power and connections to sexually assault and prey on them.

Foppoli submitted his four-page response Tuesday to the Court Clerk’s Office. The document lists generic defenses, including arguments that the women’s complaint failed to bring sufficient evidence showing he caused any injury, or that the women agreed to and participated in the acts they alleged.

An Aug. 9 case management conference has been scheduled before Judge Jennifer Dollard.

The lawsuit, brought in early April by attorney Traci Carrillo on behalf of seven anonymous women, also accused philanthropic social club Santa Rosa Active 20-30 and Christopher Creek Winery, owned by Foppoli and his brother, of facilitating the former politician’s misconduct.

First made public in April 2021 and recounted in the suit, the alleged incidents took place as recently as February 2020 and date as far back as 2001. In each, Foppoli is accused of some form of sexual misconduct, including groping or rape.

Foppoli did not immediately respond to Press Democrat questions Wednesday but has maintained his innocence since the allegations came to light. Santa Rosa Active 20-30 denied it enabled any of the misconduct in its response to the lawsuit last month.

That Foppoli filed his answer to her client’s lawsuit on his own is “not necessarily surprising,” Carrillo said.

“I would assume he ultimately will hire an attorney, but he had a deadline to meet,” she said. “I can’t imagine anyone would want to represent themselves in a complex civil litigation.”

You can reach Staff Writer Emily Wilder at 707-521-5337 or emily.wilder@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @vv1lder.