Updated 5:52 p.m.
For the past two months, Alameda County Supervisor Nadia Lockyer’s public life has been shaken with a scandal of , an alleged assault and .
Despite her tainted reputation and , and after a short stint in rehab, Lockyer, 40, held on to her elected position until today, when she announced that she will be stepping down.
In a letter released Friday afternoon, Lockyer said that she wants to focus on her recovery and taking care of her 8-year-old son.
"Without a doubt, being a mother is the most important role and duty of my lifetime," Lockyer wrote. "I can surely be a great mom and effectively represent the 325,000 plus constituents of District 2, yet not while also tredging the waters of early recovery from addiction and the aftermath of interpersonal violence."
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Lockyer's drama began to unfold on Feb. 3 when she was allegedly assaulted by a former lover at a Newark motel. Less than two weeks later on Feb. 14, she announced that she had checked herself into rehab for "chemical dependency and chronic pain" stemming from a past car accident as well as for the injuries she said she suffered in the attack.
The Alameda County District Attorney's Office initially investigated her allegations but then turned the probe over to the California Attorney General's Office because Lockyer formerly worked for the Alameda County Family Justice Center, an agency connected to the district attorney's office.
Later in February, news sources told media that Lockyer's former lover and alleged attacker Stephen Chikhani gave Lockyer's husband a copy of a sex tape.
Most recently, an email from Lockyer's personal account sent to the San Jose Mercury News alleged that Bill Lockyer had supplied her prescription drugs. Lockyer told media that her email account was hacked and Bill Lockyer released a statement saying the allegations were false.
According to the Bay Area News Group, Bill Lockyer issued a statement saying he supported his wife's decision.
"She has worked hard and well for her district. But the last year took a great toll on Nadia. It's best for her, best for Diego and best for our family that she leave public office," the statement said.
Lockyer's colleagues have two months to try to agree on a temporary replacement for her. If they can't agree on anyone then it would be up to Gov. Jerry Brown to name a replacement.
The seat will then be contested at the next general election.
The Alameda County Board of Supervisors also issued a statement of support for Lockyer Friday Evening:
In the nearly 16 months since she took office, we have grown to
appreciate Nadia’s dedication to the people of District 2 and her
passion for Alameda County.
We respect Nadia’s decision to place her own health and the well-being
of her child and her family before her career as a County supervisor.
Our thoughts now turn to supporting our colleague as she addresses the
personal issues she has cited in her resignation letter.
Supervisor Lockyer’s resignation requires formal acceptance by the
Board of Supervisors. To that end, we have placed this matter on the
agenda of our regularly scheduled meeting next Tuesday, April 24.
Bay City News Service contributed to this report.
