San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher is set to officially resign at 5 p.m. Monday, more than a month after he was sued for sexual assault and sexual harassment.
Fletcher, who has been at an out-of-state treatment facility, was not available for comment. In a March 29 tweet announcing his decision to resign, he said, "A combination of my personal mistakes plus false accusations has created a burden that my family shouldn’t have to bear."
On Monday, KPBS obtained a copy of a letter from Fletcher that was planned to go out to his constituents, supporters and friends:
Dear Constituents, Supporters, and Friends:
Today, I resigned my position as a Supervisor for the 4th District of San Diego County. I own, unequivocally, the responsibility for making the mistake of engaging in consensual interactions with someone outside of my marriage.
And while I strenuously deny the allegations you have no doubt heard levied against me, I apologize for letting down so many people important to me – my family, staff, constituents, supporters, and friends. I failed to live to the standards I expect of myself, and those which are rightly demanded of our elected officials. I believe our representatives should be role models and held to the highest standards in both their public and personal lives in a way that honors the public’s trust and confidence. While no one is without flaws and mistakes, I fully accept that I did not live up to this standard, and my resignation is appropriate. You put your faith in me as your elected representative, and I let you down. For that, I am truly sorry.
Regarding the accusations against me: I am confident that when all communications are made public, including written messages and voice recordings, and the interactions and exchanges are fully revealed in a court of law under the penalty of perjury, the truth will present a very different reality. As a married man, my actions were unquestionably inappropriate, but they were consensual and often initiated by the plaintiff.
I fully support the independent investigation underway by MTS and know it will show that I had absolutely nothing to do with this individual's employment or termination. However, due process and legal proceedings do not move at the speed of public opinion, and this issue will take several years to fully resolve. It is most important that the vital work of the County government continue without distraction.
The last forty five days of treatment have been some of the hardest of my life. I had to confront my own failings and flaws along with working for the first time to address issues of childhood trauma, post traumatic stress and alcohol abuse. Recovery and sobriety are a lifetime process and I am committed to doing the ongoing work needed to ensure I become the father, husband and friend that those I love deserve.
I am humbled that my wife and family continue to stand by me during these difficult times. And I am blessed with a tremendous group of friends. Thank you to everyone who has reached out during this difficult time. I sincerely believe making mistakes, admitting your flaws, and going through hardship does not cause you to lose friends, but rather shows you who they are. My family and friends deserve my full attention as I work to earn back their trust and confidence.
I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to serve the 4th District and all County residents over the last four years, and will carry immense pride for the progress made and challenges confronted in that time. The ownership of these successes – particularly in the areas of behavioral health, child welfare, and juvenile justice – rightfully and completely belong to those members of our community who have demanded such changes, as well as the County workers who I know will faithfully implement them. I will always regret the circumstances of my departure, but more than anything, I will forever remain a fan of the work of our County government. The mission and purpose of serving those most in need is so much greater and more enduring than any one flawed individual.
I wish you all the very best in the future.
Sincerely,
Nathan Fletcher
"It was nice to see the apology, but he's costing the county $5 million in a new general election that we have to go through," said Supervisor Jim Desmond. "I'm just happy to hopefully get this behind us. We can move on with the governance of the county and the people of that district have an opportunity to elect a new representative to represent them on the county."
Political analyst Carl Luna said the resignation is “unfortunately a bit of a train wreck for the county, because as long as Supervisor Fletcher’s seat remains unfilled it's hard for the board to really take decisive action on a number of issues — from homelessness to highways, to everything else they've got to deal with.”
Fletcher’s staff said that his office will remain open after the resignation becomes official.
They will continue working to serve District 4 constituents while voters decide who should fill the seat during a special election on Aug. 15.
“Where it leaves the people in that district is without representation until such time a special election can be held. And you got to go through the two step, the primary and general, and it's going to take months to get somebody into that seat,” Luna said.
If no candidate receives a majority vote in the Aug. 15 primary election, then a special general election would be held Nov. 7, according to county officials.
“The simple fact is that seat will be filled by another democrat, the question is which democrat?” Luna said.
San Diego County’s 4th Supervisorial District is 101 square miles in the heart of San Diego’s population center, with nearly 700,000 constituents.
