Lantana mayor David Stewart is accused of asking for sex in exchange for installing speed bumps in a woman’s neighborhood
A Florida mayor has been accused of promising to install speed bumps in a woman’s neighborhood in exchange for sex.
Lantana resident Catherine Padilla filed a complaint with the Florida Commission on Ethics in January, claiming mayor David Stewart told her if she had sex with him he would put down the speed bumps she had been campaigning for.
The alleged incident took place about three years ago, when Mayor Stewart drove Padilla to a motel one day after they had lunch and told her he wanted to ‘occupy’ a room with her, she claims.
‘[He said] have sex and I’ll guarantee you that your street will get the speed humps that you want,’ Padilla told CBS12.
She claims she told the mayor ‘no’ and got out of his car when he said he wanted to have sex with her in the room.
Padilla says she hadn’t spoken up until now because she didn’t feel strong enough before. But now, after getting over her ex-husband’s January 2015 death, she is ready to come forward with the allegations.
Catherine Padilla has campaigned for speed bumps on her street, creating a petition that 71 per cent of the town’s residents signed
Padilla says Stewart continued the harassment, calling her to say it wasn’t too late to have sex with him in exchange for the speed bumps before Town Hall voted on the safety measure
Speaking to The Palm Beach Post, Padilla said she and Stewart became friends about five years ago at Kiwanis Club meetings, and she didn’t find it strange when he asked her to lunch to discuss the speed bumps after one of the meetings.
Although she denied the mayor’s alleged sexual advances at the motel parking lot, Padilla says Stewart continued the harassment, calling her to say it wasn’t too late to have sex with him in exchange for the speed bumps before the meeting where the Town Council was to vote on the safety measures.
Before the Council approved the speed bumps in August 2015, Padilla had created a petition and got about 71 per cent of the town’s residents to sign it.
Padilla told CBS5 that Stewart said, ‘have sex and I’ll guarantee you that your street will get the speed humps that you want’
Stewart, who has been mayor since 2000 and is running for re-election unopposed, is denying the accusations
The mayor is denying any accusations of misconduct.
‘These accusations are totally and completely false,’ he told The Palm Beach Post. ‘I won’t dignify them by commenting. I continue to focus on doing my best for the residents of our town and community.’
After hearing about the complaint, Stewart showed up at Padilla’s house but she wouldn’t let him in and he left, according to a police report.
Stewart, who’s described on the town’s website as ‘Ernest Hemingway meets Jimmy Buffett meets Santa Claus’, has been mayor since 2000, and is running unopposed in the March 13 election.