Two employees accuse Florida Rep. Fabian Basabe of sexual harassment in lawsuit

The lawsuit says Basabe made repeated lewd sexual comments and advances toward a legislative aide and an intern, slapped the aide’s butt without his consent while they attended an elementary school career day, and groped and tried to kiss a Florida State University graduate student in a car before hiring him as an intern.

Basabe, 45, is a former New York socialite who appeared on reality TV shows in the mid-2000s.

Basabe is married to the heiress of the La Perla lingerie fortune, Martina Borgomanero, and has publicly avoided questions about his own sexual orientation since being elected.

Basabe attacked [one of the men] in a lengthy statement on social media, decrying a “false accusation” made by “lazy, entitled, unscrupulous, self-involved, ungrateful, lying scum.”

Attorneys for Frevola and Cutbirth said they will also be filing separate complaints for each of them with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission seeking a formal investigation.

Florida House Report finds ‘no evidence’ Fabián Basabe harassed aides. Accusers’ lawyer slams ‘shoddy’ investigation.

Marlene Quintana of the law firm GrayRobinson, which the House hired to conduct the probe, said she was unable to substantiate any sexual harassment or battery accusations two former employees lodged against Basabe in July.

‘That said, Rep. Basabe likely should exercise better judgment regarding observing the delicate margins between the personal and the professional with his subordinates.’

Cindy Myers, a lawyer representing Frevola and Cutbirth in a pending lawsuit over the matter in Leon County, said Quintana ignored evidence and failed to speak with key witnesses in order to reach the conclusion House leadership preferred.

“We’re not surprised that the report comes to this conclusion,” she told Florida Politics on Thursday. “What we are surprised about is the shoddiness of the report and the key documents being left out of it and not referenced at all. … But there’s still going to be a full airing in court before a jury.”

Quintana’s report reveals Frevola and Basabe had a more-than-professional relationship. The two attended parties, music festivals and Art Basel together. In a text message Quintana obtained that Frevola sent Feb. 15, a month after the alleged face-slapping incident, Frevola told Basabe, “I know I made the right decision to work for you.” Another text Basabe produced showed Frevola telling his then-boss that he loved him.

Frevola also lived briefly at one of Basabe’s homes during his House employment.

[Frevola signed an NDA.] Basabe asked Cutbirth (the other accuser) to also sign an NDA, Quintana wrote, after finding out Frevola took him to an apartment the Representative owns.