US woman Senator accused of forcing male aide into oral sex pushes for stricter sexual assault laws

In a video shared on X (formerly Twitter), Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil highlighted the widespread issue of sexual assault and violence in the U.S. while advocating for her proposed legislation.

"April is National #SexualAssaultAwarenessMonth, and I am leading the charge with Senate Bill 268 - my bill will address a critical gap in the state's criminal justice system by reclassifying the rape of an intoxicated person as a violent felony," she wrote on X.

She noted in the video that a sexual assault occurs every 73 seconds in America and that the crime impacts individuals of all genders and sexual orientations.

"If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please know that it is not your fault," Alvarado-Gil said in the video, asking citizens to help "end sexual violence".

The bill, which aimed to classify the rape of an intoxicated person as a violent felony and to impose harsher penalties for sex crimes, was approved by the Senate on Aug. 31.

Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil has been accused of compelling her married former staffer into a “sex-based quid pro quo relationship,” which allegedly resulted in severe back and hip injuries for him.

Chad Condit, the woman senator's former chief of staff and son of ex-Congressman Gary Condit, reportedly filed a lawsuit against Alvarado-Gil last week.

The lawsuit claims that the California Senator pressured him into performing explicit acts during work-related travel.

The legal action against Alvarado-Gil also includes allegations of creating a “hostile work environment.”

Condit's suit details that during their last interaction, the senator allegedly requested oral sex in the confined space of a small car, which led to a back injury and resulted in three herniated discs and a collapsed hip.

“This was a sex-based quid pro quo relationship of unwelcome advances and sexual behaviours coupled with punishment and flexing of power,” the lawsuit charges.