California Democratic Party official Melahat Rafiei resigned from her leadership position after reports surfaced that she had been arrested in connection with a federal corruption investigation. Rafiei, an Orange County Democratic Party leader, was accused by federal authorities of involvement in a bribery scheme related to cannabis legislation. She denied wrongdoing at the time of her resignation, calling the allegations inaccurate.
According to court filings cited by local media, Rafiei was arrested in 2019 after allegedly telling representatives of a cannabis company that she intended to offer bribes to Irvine City Council members in exchange for favorable marijuana regulations. An affidavit described a plan in which Rafiei would solicit money from industry representatives with the intention of influencing elected officials’ actions.
Rafiei publicly denied attempting to improperly influence any officials and said she stepped down due to what she described as sensationalized media coverage. However, court documents indicated that she agreed to cooperate with federal investigators following her arrest. As part of that cooperation, she became a witness in a broader investigation into corruption involving local political figures.
In January 2023, the FBI announced that Rafiei had agreed to plead guilty to attempted wire fraud. Federal prosecutors said she admitted to proposing a scheme that involved offering what authorities described as a business opportunity to cannabis industry workers. The plan allegedly included arranging substantial payments in exchange for the introduction and passage of a city ordinance that would allow a retail cannabis business to operate in Irvine.
Separately, another recent resignation involving a Democratic lawmaker occurred in Colorado, where state Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis stepped down after being charged with a felony related to an allegedly forged letter of support. Jaquez Lewis denied the allegations, saying she was being unfairly targeted for political reasons. Both cases have drawn attention to ethical and legal challenges facing elected officials, while legal proceedings continue under the presumption of innocence.