California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas is facing accusations that he retaliated against his former press secretary by stripping her of her duties and eventually firing her after she reported allegations of his illegal and unethical political conduct with his brother, Rick Rivas, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday. Cynthia Moreno, Rivas’ former press secretary, filed the lawsuit in Sacramento County against the Rivas brothers and the California Assembly. KCRA 3 was the first to obtain and report the court filings on Tuesday night. Rivas’ campaign called Moreno’s claims false, defamatory and meritless. It comes weeks after Moreno was abruptly fired last month after being accused of sexual harassment. She had served as his press secretary since 2023. In a rare move, Rivas’ Assembly Rules Committee released heavily redacted records surrounding the allegation to the public. Moreno said it was a move meant to slander her name. Moreno’s lawsuit, filed by Attorney Ognian Gavrilov, includes several alleged violations of the law, including First Amendment rights violations and bribery under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, also known as RICO. The act is meant to fight organized crime. California law requires official state business to be separate from campaign activity. Moreno’s lawsuit alleges the Rivas brothers constantly crossed those boundaries and did so to carry out illegal and unethical political acts.Rick is a political consultant, the Vice President of California Affairs for the American Beverage Association, and the former legislative affairs director for the Govern for California Political Action Committee. He is one of the Speaker’s closest political advisors and has played an outsized influence in Rivas’ campaign. The lawsuit claims Moreno complained to the legislature’s Workplace Conduct Unit in February 2025 about unethical and illegal practices between the two brothers, along with Rivas’ communications Director, Nick Miller. She reported that Rivas misused public campaign staffers and had them direct government staffers, plus allegations that he used public funds for campaign-related press conferences.Moreno stated her complaint to the WCU included allegations that Robert and Rick Rivas funneled money to control the Speaker’s office actions when it came to proposed legislation. Moreno claimed that as a result, Rivas denied her a pay raise and fired her on August 6.The lawsuit claims Robert Rivas’ campaign compensated Rick Rivas through his consulting company, Garnett Lakes, and notes other powerful groups have been funneling money to Rick through the company to sway the Speaker on major proposed laws.One example cited in the lawsuit was around a proposed ballot measure introduced earlier this year known as ACA 3. It would have created a first-time homebuyer’s down payment program for University of California support staff, who often struggle to afford housing close to where they work. It was opposed by the University of California. Campaign finance records show the Friends of the University Political Action Committee, a privately funded committee comprised of wealthy alumni and donors who support the UC, paid Rick Rivas $10,000 on April 15. About a month later, the bill was shelved by the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The PAC then paid Rick Rivas another $10,000 in June, records show. The PAC also paid Rivas’ company $95,000 since March 2024.The lawsuit also points to other pieces of legislation, including SB 371, a centerpiece of a recently announced agreement between labor unions and ride-share companies such as Uber and Lyft. The bill would significantly lower the minimum insurance requirements for drivers. In exchange, lawmakers are poised to pass another proposed law that would allow ride-share drivers to unionize. The lawsuit alleges the Rivas brothers financially and politically benefited from the legislation and the deal. “The ultimate irony of Speaker Robert Rivas’ actions is that while accusing Ms. Moreno of unfounded sexual harassment claims, he orchestrated amendments to SB 371 that would allow ride-share companies like Uber to avoid meaningful liability for crimes by their drivers like sexual assault, even while the company is defending over 2,300 sexual assault lawsuits,” wrote Moreno’s attorney, Og Gavrilov.After this story was first published, a spokesperson for Uber told KCRA 3 that SB 371 does not change Uber’s alleged liability in cases of assault or other crimes. “Suggesting otherwise is factually wrong and misrepresents the bill’s text and purpose,” the spokesperson said, noting the bill updates rules around uninsured and underinsured motorists. The insurance coverage is for accidents when a third party is at fault.The lawsuit went on to allege Rivas orchestrated the deal in exchange for major union support to support California’s Congressional redistricting ballot measure, Proposition 50, and his anticipated future run for Congress. Moreno’s lawsuit also states she filed a sexual harassment claim against the Speaker’s former communications aide, Spencer Hagaman, and a separate conduct complaint against his current spokesman, Nick Miller. Her attorney stated that while claims against Hagaman were substantiated, they were never made public. The accusations against Miller had not been made public until now. “It’s already a matter of public record that the Speaker recused himself from all matters related to Ms. Moreno’s termination. The investigation into Ms. Moreno’s actions and the decision to terminate her was handled entirely by the independent Workplace Conduct Unit,” said Rivas’ campaign spokesperson, Elizabeth Ashford. “Rick Rivas had no role in Ms. Moreno’s employment, ever. The vast conspiracy theories included in this filing are absolutely false. Ms. Moreno’s long history of lawsuits speaks for itself, and any court will see this for what it is: an attempt by a former employee to force a payout. We will fight these false and defamatory claims aggressively, and we are confident they will be seen for what they are: absolutely meritless,” Ashford said. A spokesman for the American Beverage Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday night. The California Assembly’s Chief Administrative Officer, Lia Lopez, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.See the full complaint filed by Moreno here. 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California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas is facing accusations that he retaliated against his former press secretary by stripping her of her duties and eventually firing her after she reported allegations of his illegal and unethical political conduct with his brother, Rick Rivas, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday.
Cynthia Moreno, Rivas’ former press secretary, filed the lawsuit in Sacramento County against the Rivas brothers and the California Assembly. KCRA 3 was the first to obtain and report the court filings on Tuesday night. Rivas’ campaign called Moreno’s claims false, defamatory and meritless.
It comes weeks after Moreno was abruptly fired last month after being accused of sexual harassment. She had served as his press secretary since 2023. In a rare move, Rivas’ Assembly Rules Committee released heavily redacted records surrounding the allegation to the public. Moreno said it was a move meant to slander her name.
Moreno’s lawsuit, filed by Attorney Ognian Gavrilov, includes several alleged violations of the law, including First Amendment rights violations and bribery under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, also known as RICO. The act is meant to fight organized crime.
California law requires official state business to be separate from campaign activity. Moreno’s lawsuit alleges the Rivas brothers constantly crossed those boundaries and did so to carry out illegal and unethical political acts.
Rick is a political consultant, the Vice President of California Affairs for the American Beverage Association, and the former legislative affairs director for the Govern for California Political Action Committee. He is one of the Speaker’s closest political advisors and has played an outsized influence in Rivas’ campaign.
The lawsuit claims Moreno complained to the legislature’s Workplace Conduct Unit in February 2025 about unethical and illegal practices between the two brothers, along with Rivas’ communications Director, Nick Miller. She reported that Rivas misused public campaign staffers and had them direct government staffers, plus allegations that he used public funds for campaign-related press conferences.
Moreno stated her complaint to the WCU included allegations that Robert and Rick Rivas funneled money to control the Speaker’s office actions when it came to proposed legislation. Moreno claimed that as a result, Rivas denied her a pay raise and fired her on August 6.
The lawsuit claims Robert Rivas’ campaign compensated Rick Rivas through his consulting company, Garnett Lakes, and notes other powerful groups have been funneling money to Rick through the company to sway the Speaker on major proposed laws.
One example cited in the lawsuit was around a proposed ballot measure introduced earlier this year known as ACA 3. It would have created a first-time homebuyer’s down payment program for University of California support staff, who often struggle to afford housing close to where they work. It was opposed by the University of California.
Campaign finance records show the Friends of the University Political Action Committee, a privately funded committee comprised of wealthy alumni and donors who support the UC, paid Rick Rivas $10,000 on April 15. About a month later, the bill was shelved by the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The PAC then paid Rick Rivas another $10,000 in June, records show. The PAC also paid Rivas’ company $95,000 since March 2024.
The lawsuit also points to other pieces of legislation, including SB 371, a centerpiece of a recently announced agreement between labor unions and ride-share companies such as Uber and Lyft. The bill would significantly lower the minimum insurance requirements for drivers. In exchange, lawmakers are poised to pass another proposed law that would allow ride-share drivers to unionize. The lawsuit alleges the Rivas brothers financially and politically benefited from the legislation and the deal.
“The ultimate irony of Speaker Robert Rivas’ actions is that while accusing Ms. Moreno of unfounded sexual harassment claims, he orchestrated amendments to SB 371 that would allow ride-share companies like Uber to avoid meaningful liability for crimes by their drivers like sexual assault, even while the company is defending over 2,300 sexual assault lawsuits,” wrote Moreno’s attorney, Og Gavrilov.
After this story was first published, a spokesperson for Uber told KCRA 3 that SB 371 does not change Uber’s alleged liability in cases of assault or other crimes.
“Suggesting otherwise is factually wrong and misrepresents the bill’s text and purpose,” the spokesperson said, noting the bill updates rules around uninsured and underinsured motorists. The insurance coverage is for accidents when a third party is at fault.
The lawsuit went on to allege Rivas orchestrated the deal in exchange for major union support to support California’s Congressional redistricting ballot measure, Proposition 50, and his anticipated future run for Congress.
Moreno’s lawsuit also states she filed a sexual harassment claim against the Speaker’s former communications aide, Spencer Hagaman, and a separate conduct complaint against his current spokesman, Nick Miller. Her attorney stated that while claims against Hagaman were substantiated, they were never made public. The accusations against Miller had not been made public until now.
“It’s already a matter of public record that the Speaker recused himself from all matters related to Ms. Moreno’s termination. The investigation into Ms. Moreno’s actions and the decision to terminate her was handled entirely by the independent Workplace Conduct Unit,” said Rivas’ campaign spokesperson, Elizabeth Ashford.
“Rick Rivas had no role in Ms. Moreno’s employment, ever. The vast conspiracy theories included in this filing are absolutely false. Ms. Moreno’s long history of lawsuits speaks for itself, and any court will see this for what it is: an attempt by a former employee to force a payout. We will fight these false and defamatory claims aggressively, and we are confident they will be seen for what they are: absolutely meritless,” Ashford said.
A spokesman for the American Beverage Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday night.
The California Assembly’s Chief Administrative Officer, Lia Lopez, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.
See the full complaint filed by Moreno here.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel