OC Councilman Quits Executive Post Over Charges Of Sexual Misconduct
SANTA ANA (CBS) — An embattled Orange County public official is stepping down over allegations of sexual misconduct with co-workers.
KNX 1070's Brian Ping reports Santa Ana City Councilman Carlos Bustamante officially resigned this week as an executive manager with the Orange County Public Works Department.
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The move comes after anonymous letters were sent to the Orange County Register accusing Bustamante of sexual encounters with four current and former employees in his department.
The author of the letter threatened to post "steamy, erotic pictures" on social media web sites, but those never surfaced.
In his resignation letter submitted on Tuesday, Bustamante said he opted to resign after deciding to "never put my family or me through this horrible experience again".
In addition to his role as executive manager, Bustamante also serves as a city councilman for Santa Ana.
He denies the allegations and says he's confident the investigation will clear him. He plans to pursue a career in the private sector after a dozen years with the county.