We’ve got a few updates on the Nathan Fletcher scandal.
There have always been two major questions about what happened: First, did Fletcher sexually assault and harass Grecia Figueroa, who was a public information specialist for the Metropolitan Transit System? She claims he did.
Second, why did the agency fire Figueroa?
We got a flood of information about both questions.
On the first question: Late last week, we reported Fletcher’s legal team produced a batch of communications from Instagram direct messages that show Figueroa to be much more interested in Fletcher than snippets she released in her initial complaints indicate. They show she instigated and helped arrange some of the encounters Fletcher has always claimed were consensual.
Fletcher’s lawyer Sean L. McKaveney argues that Figueroa “manufactured a fictitious narrative designed to inflame the public against Mr. Fletcher and portray Ms. Figueroa as a ‘shocked, scared, and humiliated’ victim,” he wrote. “However, it is clear that she eagerly and aggressively pursued Mr. Fletcher’s companionship for several months.”
Response: “Unfortunately, it is increasingly obvious that Mr. Fletcher and his defense team do not understand the nuance surrounding consent, including how consent can be withdrawn at any time and how each encounter requires consent,” Jessica Pride, Figueroa’s attorney, wrote in a statement.
The second question: Fletcher’s team also released a letter from MTS management to Figueroa about alleged performance issues that led to her firing.
MTS released a statement early Saturday morning saying it would release the report from the independent investigation it commissioned on why Figueroa was fired.
“Instead of releasing a summary of the report’s findings, the Board authorized a release of the full report, with privileged/confidential information redacted,” the agency’s statement read.
Job Applicant Alleges Racism After Supervisor Vargas Rescinded Offer
The county posted a link to a lawsuit a man named Jeff Liu filed against the county and chair of the Board of Supervisors, Nora Vargas. Liu alleges that Vargas’ chief of staff, Denise Garcia, muttered racist, anti-Asian slurs while she badgered him for not relocating to San Diego quickly enough after accepting a job offer from her.
Vargas told La Prensa the county would handle it and Garcia would remain in her role.
Sacramento Report: Housekeeping at the Capitol; a Run for Governor
Our Deborah Brennan traveled to Sacramento to meet with San Diego’s legislators. She wanted to know what they plan to prioritize this year. No surprise: housing and homelessness. She spoke to several legislators about their plans for the latest Sacramento Report. Subscribe here if you haven’t already.
Campaign for Governor: State Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, launched her long anticipated campaign for governor Friday, making her one of three women vying to be the first female governor of California.
“Many have said that in 2026, it’s time for California to finally elect a woman Governor,” Atkins said at her launch party at the San Diego Air & Space Museum, before numerous San Diego politicians and labor supporters in orange vests. “As the most qualified candidate running for Governor, who also happens to be a woman, I agree!”
She joins the race against Democrats Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former state Controller Betty Yee, and state school Superintendent Tony Thurmond.
If elected, Atkins would complete a trifecta of top jobs, after serving as the first lesbian and first San Diegan Assembly speaker in 2014, and then becoming the first woman and first openly LGBTQ person chosen as Senate Pro Tem.
Read the Sacramento Report here.
VOSD Podcast: About the Homelessness Fundraising Campaign
On the latest the Voice of San Diego Podcast, senior investigative reporters Lisa Halverstadt and Will Huntsberry joined hosts Andrea Lopez-Villafaña and Jakob McWhinney.
Halverstadt shared details about Mayor Todd Gloria’s new fundraising campaign to combat homelessness announcement from his State of the City address. It’s a good show. Listen to the full episode here.
Don’t forget, we’ll be at Modern Times Beer and Coffee in Point Loma to celebrate our 19th anniversary. Get your tickets here.
In Other News
- The Union-Tribune’s new owners owe more than $560,000 in back rent, CBS8 reports.
- Are you wondering why train horns in downtown are so loud? KPBS has an update on why San Diego has temporarily suspended the “Quiet Zone,” near trains.
- The City Council will consider a proposal today to loosen rules on scooters in an attempt to lure scooter companies back to San Diego. (Union-Tribune)
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