Law enforcement agencies must take extra precautions while investigating allegations against Republican State Rep. Fabian Basabe to ensure transparency, impartiality, and freedom from potential external pressures that could impact integrity, according to a local attorney.
“One significant difficulty law enforcement faces when dealing with high-profile individuals is the potential influence and power that the accused may wield,” said Attorney Mike Schmidt.
Schmidt was reacting to the news Basabe was sued in Leon County Circuit Court for allegedly talking about sex with a legislative aide on more than one occasion and showing the aide and an intern a photo of a naked man on his cellphone on Feb. 21, 2023, according to media reports.
“Coming forward with allegations against a high-profile person or politician can be immensely daunting and intimidating,” Schmidt told the Florida Record. “There is a heightened fear of retaliation or public backlash, which may deter victims from reporting the incidents promptly. They may worry about their personal and professional reputations being scrutinized and potentially damaged.”
Basabe, who represents Miami Beach and Northeast Dade, did not respond to requests for comment.
“Political figures often have access to considerable resources and connections, which can lead to challenges in conducting an unbiased and thorough investigation,” Schmidt said.
The lawsuit accuses Basabe of touching and trying to embrace the intern in a car after a night out drinking on Dec. 15, 2022.
Plaintiffs, who include Nicolas Frevola, Janette Frevola, and Jacob Cutbirth, allege three counts of battery and one count of defamation.
“Basabe told Cutbirth that he should not marry his girlfriend/fiancée because the marriage would never last and that Cutbirth should explore his sexuality by having sex with me,” wrote Plaintiffs' attorney Marie Mattox in their July 6 complaint.
As previously reported by CBS News and the Miami Herald, the Florida House of Representatives investigated the claim and found the allegations to be inconclusive.
“Obviously, this was a waste of my time because you have no intentions of actually discussing issues that pertain to anything going on in my district right now,” Basabe told CBS News reporter Jim Defede. “You just want to keep pushing this theatre...this drama.”
Basabe isn’t the first high-ranking Republican to be accused of harassment in recent months.
A former Herschel Walker campaign staffer sued Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) Chair Matt Schlapp alleging that he sexually assaulted him while driving him to his hotel on Oct. 19, according to media reports.
"The involvement of a high-profile politician can sometimes lead to heightened public interest in the case," Schmidt added. "This increased scrutiny can affect the victims emotionally, as they may feel pressured to provide evidence and testify in a high-stakes public setting. It can be overwhelming for them to handle the intense media attention and public speculation that often surrounds such cases."