SACRAMENTO — Former Assemblyman Michael Duvall's recorded boasts that he had sexual relations with a woman believed to be a lobbyist have drawn the attention of the FBI, whose agents have begun questioning associates of the disgraced Republican from Yorba Linda.
Agents have talked to at least two former Duvall employees as potential witnesses to determine whether there is evidence of criminal wrongdoing that could lead to an investigation, officials said.
"We did make contact with the two aides," said Special Agent Steve Dupre, a spokesman for the FBI. He declined to comment further.
The aides include Duvall's former chief of staff, Carolyn Ginno, according to people familiar with the inquiries who were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.
Ginno declined to comment, and other aides to Duvall did not return calls.
Duvall resigned Sept. 9 after a videotape was widely distributed in which he told another assemblyman, on an open microphone, about sex with a woman later identified in media reports as a lobbyist for a public utility company. Duvall, who is married, was vice chairman of the Assembly's utilities committee.
He did not return calls to his businesses Friday. He said after his resignation that his decision was "in no way an admission that I had an affair or affairs. My offense was engaging in inappropriate storytelling, and I regret my language and choice of words."
The lobbyist for Sempra Energy has been placed on temporary leave.
"The company's investigation is continuing," said Art Larson, a spokesman for the utility, who reiterated that the lobbyist has "denied the allegations reported in the media."
Meanwhile, an investigation of Duvall's actions by the Assembly's ethics committee appeared dead Friday after the Legislature's top lawyer said his resignation eliminated the panel's jurisdiction over him.
Legislative Counsel Diane F. Boyer-Vine advised lawmakers that the authority of the committee "is limited to determining whether a member of the house may continue to serve as a member of the house."
Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) said a review would instead be conducted to develop safeguards "to ensure that the relationships between legislators and legislative advocates remain totally aboveboard and consistent with the public's best interests."
