Rep. Tony Cardenas Accused Of Molesting And Drugging Teen

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Rep. Tony Cardenas is being sued for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl before dumping her at a hospital emergency room several years ago, his attorney confirmed Thursday.

Cardenas, who represents the North Hollywood area, denied the allegations through a representative. The lawsuit created shockwaves across the political landscape last week when it was filed against a then-unnamed lawmaker.

"My client is sickened and distraught by these horrific allegations, which are 100%, categorically untrue," his attorney Patricia Glaser said in the statement. "We respect victims who have found the strength to come forward and call out misconduct when it has actually occurred, but the type of baseless and reckless allegations that are contained in the complaint against my client can ruin the lives and careers of innocent people."

Glaser further alleged to the Los Angeles Times that the allegations were made by the daughter of a former employee with an axe to grind.

The lawsuit filed by attorney Lisa Bloom on behalf of an unnamed woman describes a nightmare outing for an aspiring teen golfer. Citing state law, Bloom did not name the defendant but described him as an elected official in Los Angeles, setting off a flurry of speculation.

The lawsuit contends the plaintiff met the official in 2005 when she was a 14-year-old star athlete. The suit contends that the official became close with her and her whole family, and he invited her to play golf at Hillcrest Country Club in January 2007, when the plaintiff was 16. During the game, he handed her a cup of ice water that "tasted distinctly different from both tap and filtered water," according to the suit. The girl collapsed but remained conscious, according to the suit. The man then molested her later in his car when she became incapacitated, the girl alleges. He then dropped her at a hospital and fled, according to the suit.

The LAPD does not have an active investigation into the matter, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson said. According to the lawsuit, the girl never confronted the man or reported him to police out of fear of retaliation against her and her family, but she was inspired to file the lawsuit in response to the #MeToo movement.

The Los Angeles Times, reports that former Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon said he had a bizarre meeting with a man he believes to be the father of the alleged victim shortly after he announced plans to run against Cardenas for Congress in 2016. The man offered dirt on Cardenas in exchange for a job on Alarcon's campaign, the newspaper reported. Alacron said he turned the man down.

City News Service contributed to this report. Photo: Congressman Tony Cardenas attends the 'Fiesta Shalom' Event at Tamayo Restaurant on November 22, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Consulate General of Israel)