Falcicchio, former top adviser to DC mayor, referred for criminal investigation – NBC4 Washington

Former D.C. Deputy Mayor John Falcicchio faces further consequences. An independent investigation into sexual harassment complaints has resulted in a referral to a criminal investigation.

That means the harassment allegations against Falcicchio could become part of an investigation into possible criminal activity. Falcicchio was one of DC Mayor Muriel Bowser’s top advisers, both as chief of staff and as deputy mayor.

Multiple sources familiar with the investigation confirmed the information contained in the footnotes of the more than 100-page independent report.

The independent investigators referred the sexual assault allegations to the D.C. inspector general because they cited “possible criminal activity” in one of those footnotes.

D.C.’s inspector general has filed a criminal referral for further investigation, sources familiar with the investigation tell News4. However, it was not clear which law enforcement agency or agencies were contacted.

Spokespeople for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the D.C. Attorney General declined to comment. A spokesman for D.C.’s inspector general also declined to comment.

An abrupt resignation in 2023

Falcicchio, a longtime top adviser to Bowser, abruptly left her administration in March 2023, a week after the mayor’s legal team began investigating but before the allegations became public.

According to findings from the government’s initial investigation, Falcicchio made unwanted physical sexual advances and sent inappropriate messages, including sexually explicit messages and graphic videos. The mayor’s legal counsel concluded in June 2023 that the conduct “more likely than not constituted sexual harassment” toward a female employee.

The following month, the mayor’s legal counsel released a summary of findings that concluded that Falcicchio had also sexually harassed a second employee. According to the report, he made several unwanted physical sexual advances toward the woman who worked for him in the deputy mayor’s office. It also found that he had sent unwanted flirtatious messages.

The report concluded that Falcicchio or other government employees did not retaliate after the employee rejected his repeated advances over several months in 2020.

This is what the independent investigation revealed

The new report, commissioned by the D.C. Council, criticizes the mayor’s internal investigation for not considering involving law enforcement after reviewing complaints from one of the employees who alleged what the independent report described as “sexual “Common law assault.”

DC agreed to a settlement with the two employees totaling more than $500,000, including legal fees. The independent report cost D.C. taxpayers approximately $750,000, bringing the total cost to taxpayers to more than $1 million.

In addition to the cash payout, both women were allowed to keep their state salaries and benefits for an indefinite period of time, sources said.

On the day the settlement was announced in May, women’s attorneys Debra Katz and Kayla Morin said they could not discuss the settlement and hoped their clients’ actions could help other district employees.

“We would like to once again commend the courage of our two clients who have come forward to expose both Falcicchio’s sexual harassment and the significant deficiencies in the D.C. government’s sexual harassment policy that have allowed his behavior to go unchecked for too long remained,” says the lawyers’ statement.

“Their efforts and the good they have done have led to significant policy changes in DC government that we hope will improve working conditions for city employees in the months and years to come,” the statement continued.

Earlier this month, after the settlement was announced, Bowser had only brief comments on the independent investigation, declining to discuss the details on May 13.

“I have said all along that we have learned lessons from this incident and how sorry I am that one of our employees was harmed,” Bowser said.

News4 reached out to Falcicchio but did not receive a response.