Bill Brough (, ; born October 15, 1966) is an American politician who served three terms in the California State Assembly. A

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, he represented the 73rd district, encompassing southern

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

. Prior to being elected to the state legislature, he was a

Dana Point Dana Point () is a city located in southern Orange County, California, United States. The population was 33,107 at the 2020 census. It has one of the few harbors along the Orange County coast, and with ready access via State Route 1, it is a po ...

City Council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

man. Previously, Brough served as chief of staff to California State Assemblywoman

Diane Harkey Diane Lynn Harkey (born June 20, 1951) is an American politician who served as a member of the California State Board of Equalization, representing its fourth district from 2015 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, she was previously elected ...

, White House liaison at the

Department of Veterans Affairs The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers an ...

in the

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

administration, and aide to former congressman Christopher Cox. In 2016, he founded the California Legislative

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Caucus.

Personal life

After high school, Brough enlisted in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

, serving on active duty 1986–1990, and graduated from the

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from H ...

in 1995. Brough and his wife have two children.

Sexual harassment and violence allegations

In June 2019, two women accused Brough of making unwanted sexual advances to them in public settings.

Supervisor

Lisa Bartlett Lisa A. Bartlett (née Sato) is an American politician and former businesswoman. Bartlett is a county supervisor of Orange County for district 5. Bartlett is the former mayor of Dana Point, California. She is a Republican. Early life Bartlett ...

charged that Brough cornered her in a local restaurant in March 2011, when both were serving on the

City Council, and pressed his groin against her. After she broke free and left, she filed a complaint against him with the city. Also, a Laguna Beach real estate agent who worked on campaigns for Bartlett and Brough, said Brough harassed her about five years prior, before he was sworn into the state Assembly in 2014. Brough has denied the allegations. On May 27, 2020, Brough was stripped of all his committee assignments after the California State Assembly Workplace Conduct Unit found that Brough had improperly touched and propositioned female staff members, including impliedly offering political favors in exchange for sexual activity. In 2020, The ''Orange County Register'' reported that at least six women accused Brough of sexual assault or harassment over the previous decade. In spite of the sexual harassment allegations against him, Brough sought reelection to a fourth term in 2020. He was soundly defeated in the primary, coming in fourth place.

Laguna Niguel Laguna Niguel () is a city in Orange County, California, United States. The name Laguna Niguel is derived from the words "Laguna" (Spanish for "lagoon") and "Niguili" (the name of a Native American village once located near Aliso Creek). As of ...

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

Laurie Davies, a fellow Republican, went on to win the general election. In December 2020, days after Brough left the State Assembly, a former legislative aide filed a criminal complaint against him, accusing him of raping her in 2015.

Campaign finance allegations

In August 2019, the California Ethics Commission announced it would investigate Brough's alleged misuse of campaign funds. He is charged with spending campaign contributions to pay off his family's cell phone bill, eat at expensive restaurants, and take a personal trip to a

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...

game, among other personal expenditures. The total payments in question since he took office add up to nearly $200,000.

2014 California State Assembly

2016 California State Assembly

2018 California State Assembly

2020 California State Assembly

References

External links

*
Campaign website

Bill Brough at votesmart.org

Join California Bill Brough
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brough, Bill Republican Party members of the California State Assembly Living people People from Dana Point, California University of Connecticut alumni Place of birth missing (living people) United States Army soldiers California city council members 21st-century American politicians 1966 births