SAN DIEGO – Former legislator and mayor Bob Filner passed away on April 20 at the age of 82.
Filner, a Democrat who served in the U.S. Congress for nearly two decades, faced legal proceedings at the end of his career after being accused of sexual harassment by more than a dozen women during his time in office.
The allegations forced the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-born politician to resign from his position as mayor in order to address the accusations.
Although he initially denied them, he eventually had no choice but to admit to the allegations, and by March 17, 2013, a jury had already been selected to deliberate on his conduct.
History notes that Robert Earl Filner, his full name, was the 35th mayor of San Diego, holding the position from December 3, 2012, to August 30, 2013—less than a year.
As Representative for California’s 51st District, which includes southern San Diego County, he made significant efforts on behalf of the community—particularly the Latino population—and was notably active as former Chair of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee (2007–2011).
Another key issue where the former Congressman played a significant role was addressing delays at the Tijuana-San Diego border crossings, a matter he brought to Congress on several occasions with relative success.
Nevertheless, as widely known, his once-bright political legacy was tarnished by the sexual harassment accusations from more than a dozen women, which he acknowledged at the time of his resignation, also vowing to seek psychological help to correct his inappropriate behavior.
According to a local television news report, citing a close family member, Bob Filner died at an assisted living facility in Costa Mesa. The cause of death was not disclosed.