Former press secretary files lawsuit against Assembly Speaker Rivas

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KION-TV) - A lawsuit is being filed against California State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas by his former press secretary, Cynthia Moreno.

In the 20-page complaint, Moreno is claiming that Speaker Rivas retaliated against her for reporting illegal, unethical, and harassing conduct, alongside his brother Ricardo Rivas, who is the American Beverage Association's Vice President for California 

The Assembly is completely denying these allegations. 

According to the lawsuit, to understand where this begins, one would go back to May of 2024. That is when Moreno submitted her first complaint against former communications assistant Spencer Hagaman.

She then submitted a second complaint exactly two months later.

Between July and December 2024, the lawsuit states that the Workplace Conduct Unit concluded that the complaint against Hagaman was substantiated, and Speaker Rivas began to strip Moreno of her job responsibilities, while Hagaman received several raises. 

In December of 2024, Hagaman was promoted to Senior Communications Assistant. 

The following month, Moreno submitted her first complaint, followed by a second in February, reporting "unethical and illegal practices."

Highlighted in her complaint are the alleged misuse of public campaign staffers directing government staffers and using public funds for campaign-related press conferences by communications director Nick Miller, Speaker Robert Rivas, and his brother, Rick Rivas.

Post the complaints, she claims she was denied an alleged standard pay raise. She was officially terminated on Aug. 6, 2024.

The Assembly Rules Committee released a statement regarding the lawsuit.

“This complaint is a total fabrication, and I am confident that Ms. Moreno’s claims regarding ‘unethical or illegal practices’ by Speaker Rivas or his brother and complaints about current assembly employees will be disproven in a court of law," it stated.

The committee said they stand by their decision to fire Moreno based on findings from an investigation the WCU did that substantiated allegations of sexual harassment relating to Moreno, and from what they called a "lack of candor" from her. 

KION-TV News attempted to reach out to Moreno's lawyers, but is still awaiting a response.

The first court date is slated for Oct. 30th, 2026.