A hopeful California lieutenant governor candidate has been accused of exposing herself to a former employee and crawling into bed with her before allegedly using taxpayer money to keep her quiet. Sexual harassment accusations that have been looming over Sacramento Treasurer Fiona Ma, 60, for years have resurfaced as she begins the race for lieutenant governor.
Allegations and Lawsuit
Ma's former employee Judith Blackwell sued the city Treasurer's office in 2021, accusing Ma of having exposed herself to Blackwell and crawling into bed with her during a stay at a hotel and rental property, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. While the Treasurer denied the allegations and sought to clear her name at trial, she told the Chronicle's Editorial Board that state lawyers settled the lawsuit.
'It was a frivolous lawsuit,' Ma said. 'It was my reputation so I was ready to go to court.'
Blackwell alleged that, while Ma and herself were sharing rooms, Ma had crawled into bed with her at least once and 'exposed her bare rear end directly to' her several times, according to the outlet. Ma did not deny the incidents occurring but insisted they 'were not sexual' in nature but 'random, isolated incidents that do not constitute sexual harassment.'
Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Christopher Krueger didn't dismiss the accusations as Ma had requested and said a jury may find a different conclusion. Krueger did, however, dismiss claims that Blackwell was wrongfully fired.
Court records show that Ma, sued as an individual and state official, was represented by the California Department of Justice and private attorneys.
Political Fallout
The settled suit has left her opponents something to grab onto and hoist into the spotlight as she campaigns for lieutenant governor. A political action committee, No on Fiona Ma for Lieutenant Governor 2026 - Taxpayers Against Sexual Harassment by Government Officials, is led by a supporter of one of Ma's opponents, former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, the Chronicle reported.
'The civil complaints in this frivolous lawsuit were dropped without payment,' Ma told Politico. 'I objected to the state settling, and the only public funds spent were by the attorney general to avoid further legal costs.'
Documentation obtained by the Chronicle, however, indicates that Ma agreed to settle the sexual harassment suit for $350,000. The Treasurer also reportedly raised more than $170,000 from donors to fund her legal defense, as well as transferring $50,000 from her 2026 lieutenant governor campaign into her legal defense account.
Prior to the accusations, Ma announced plans to run for governor in 2026 but steered toward lieutenant governor in 2023 following the lawsuit settlement. The Sacramento Bee found in 2021 that Ma often shared rooms with employees in an attempt to 'save money' during her first two years in office.
Michael Gomez Daly, a spokesperson for a group against Ma's candidacy, told the Chronicle that they were calling for a law that stipulates that state officials should be barred from sharing hotel rooms with staff.
'Fiona Ma's statement is a bold-faced lie,' Gomez Daly told the outlet. 'We are calling on Fiona Ma to stop the lies and for the state to finally pass laws prohibiting the very behavior—sharing rooms with subordinates—that led to this payout in the first place.'
Gomez Daly also serves as a political director for the progressive California Donor Table, which has endorsed Ma's opponent Michael Tubbs, the Chronicle reported. The Daily Mail reached out to Treasurer Ma's Office, California Donor Table, and the California Governor's Office for comment.
