A former Democratic mayor from the small Northern California town of Windsor was found civilly liable Friday over allegations that he sexually assaulted seven women.
Dominic Foppoli, who served as Windsor’s mayor from late 2018 until 2021, was ordered to pay $13 million in total compensatory damages. The women’s individual awards, tied to allegations dating from 2001 through 2020, range from $6,000 to $4,650,938.
The former mayor may also face additional punitive damages. That portion of the civil proceedings is scheduled to begin Tuesday, KTVU FOX 2 reported.
Foppoli has repeatedly denied the accusations and was never criminally charged in relation to them. He resigned as mayor in May 2021, after four women shared sexual assault allegations against him with the San Francisco Chronicle.
Dominic Foppoli is seen in court during opening statements in his civil trial at the Sonoma County Civil and Family Law Courthouse in Santa Rosa, California, on July 15, 2026. (Jessica Christian/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
The lawsuit, brought in April 2022 on behalf of seven women identified as Jane Does, outlined a series of allegations against Foppoli. Several plaintiffs said he drugged their drinks before assaulting them. Jane Doe 1 alleged that he raped her dozens of times, including an incident in which she said he restrained her to a bed with handcuffs.
In all, 13 women have accused Foppoli of sexual assault or other misconduct, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
California’s attorney general’s office paused its criminal investigation in 2024, saying there was insufficient evidence at the time to pursue charges in cases that remained within the statute of limitations.
Foppoli took the stand during the civil trial, which opened in July, and again rejected every allegation made against him.
“I’ve been a terrible boyfriend and partner, cheating, selfish and egotistical, but I’ve never done any of those things I’m being sued for,” Foppoli testified, according to KGO Eyewitness News.
The jury also found the Santa Rosa chapter of Active 20-30, an all-male charitable social club where Foppoli was a member, liable for Jane Doe 4’s alleged assault and awarded her an additional $2 million, the Chronicle reported.
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Dominic Foppoli appears in court with his lawyer Andrew Watters at Sonoma County Civil and Family Law Courthouse in Santa Rosa, Calif. on July 15, 2026. (Jessica Christian/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
According to the lawsuit, the woman alleged Foppoli sexually assaulted her during the national Active 20-30 convention in Reno, Nevada, in June 2012. She also accused the organization of failing to investigate complaints she made to its leaders.
Traci Carrillo, an attorney for the plaintiffs, hailed the verdict as the “ultimate validation” for the women, saying they had to overcome “their trauma, their shame, their own guilt” to obtain justice.
Foppoli’s attorney, Andrew Watters, said in a statement to News Media that he would seek a mistrial over claims that the court improperly excluded key witnesses for the defense. If that fails, Watters said he would pursue an appeal.
“What happened with the verdict was that the jury sent a message based on questionable self-reported evidence and junk science, and that’s not appropriate. It appears the passions of the jury were inflamed by the evidence and they hated my client, so they made a very large award to punish and make an example of him,” Watters said in a statement.
Farrah Abraham arrives at the Hollywood Unlocked Social Impact Brunch powered by PrettyLittleThing.com at The Sunset Room on June 22, 2019, in Hollywood, California. In a separate case, Abraham accused Dominic Foppoli of raping her in March 2021 at a house party in Palm Beach, Florida. (Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images)
Foppoli, speaking at a press conference outside the courthouse Friday, said his accusers “are trying to crucify me for a cause I’m not responsible for,” adding that they were motivated by the $13 million payout.
Foppoli still faces a separate lawsuit from Farrah Abraham, a social media influencer and former reality television personality who claims the ex-politician raped her in March 2021 at a house party in Florida. That civil case is expected to go to trial next year, according to court records.
The Chronicle reported that Christopher Creek Winery, which Foppoli owns, settled a separate lawsuit filed by a Montana woman who alleged Foppoli raped her multiple times in 2020 when she was 18.