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Carl DeMaio’s accuser admits to lying about email threats

by Scott Wong - 06/13/15 2:50 PM ET

A former aide to failed GOP congressional candidate Carl DeMaio has admitted to lying to authorities about receiving email threats if he continued alleging sexual misconduct against DeMaio, according to new reports.

Todd Bosnich, 29, pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice charges, admitting he fabricated the emails and then lied to the FBI about it in a bid to derail the campaign of his former boss, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

Bosnich’s decisions “had the potential to affect a national election,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Phil Halpern said in a federal court in San Diego. “Mr. Bosnich, for whatever reason, had a great deal of hostility and personal animus toward Mr. DeMaio.”

{mosads}Bosnich’s allegations that the openly gay DeMaio had sexually assaulted him dominated the final weeks of the campaign between DeMaio and vulnerable first-term Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.).

Peters narrowly defeated DeMaio 51.6 percent to 48.4 percent in an election where Republicans grew their House majority to record levels.

Reached by phone, DeMaio said the revelations about his former campaign aide won’t change the results of the election.

“You don’t get do-overs,” DeMaio, now a radio talk-show host, told The Hill.

“Todd Bosnich’s lies were incredibly painful, smeared my reputation and derailed our Congressional campaign,” DeMaio added in a statement. “While the criminal prosecution today may hold Bosnich accountable on some level, Congressman Scott Peters shares responsibility for promoting Bosnich’s smears and lies for political gain.”

Prosecutors made clear they only focused on the email threats and did not investigate sexual and other allegations between Bosnich and DeMaio, the Union-Tribune said.

Bosnich contacted Peters’ campaign in May 2014, providing emails that he said corroborated his sexual harassment allegations against DeMaio. Peters’ campaign manager handed them over to San Diego police, triggering an investigation that found the emails to be fake.

Bosnich’s attorney said that his client “is accepting responsibility and wants to move on with his life,” according to the L.A. Times.

Tags Carl DeMaio Scott Peters