Disturbing Allegations Emerge Against Another Democrat Candidate
On Monday, the same day rape allegations shook the campaign of Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner, the San Francisco Chronicle published an investigation into a separate allegation involving San Francisco cafe owner and Board of Supervisors candidate Manny Yekutiel. The allegation dates back to 2020. According to the Chronicle, LGBT activist Brad Chapin accused […]
On Monday, the same day rape allegations shook the campaign of Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner, the San Francisco Chronicle published an investigation into a separate allegation involving San Francisco cafe owner and Board of Supervisors candidate Manny Yekutiel.
The allegation dates back to 2020. According to the Chronicle, LGBT activist Brad Chapin accused Yekutiel of grabbing him, fondling him, and attempting to penetrate him with a finger during a party in San Francisco’s Mission District.
The Chronicle reported that it first contacted Chapin in March. After speaking with him several times, the outlet attempted to verify portions of his account independently. However, it was unable to reach witnesses who had attended the party where the alleged assault took place.
The story had already surfaced elsewhere. On June 30, The San Francisco Standard published its own report on Chapin’s allegation and the political fallout surrounding it.
According to the Standard, Chapin filed a police report in April. In that report, he said the alleged assault happened on Feb. 21, 2020, inside the bedroom of a Mission District home after he went looking for friends.
“He grabbed me, and I was trying to get away. He wouldn’t let me go,” Chapin told the outlet. “He stuck one of his hands down my pants and grabbed me and was squeezing me and intentionally causing pain. It was bizarre. He literally had me by the testicles. It was intentionally sexually demeaning.”
Chapin also pointed to a text message he sent around the time of the alleged incident, telling a friend, “Manny just sexually assaulted me.”
Yekutiel has denied the accusation.
“These allegations are false. What is being described did not happen,” he said in a statement to The San Francisco Standard.
“When he reached out to me, I told him directly that it didn’t happen. He filed a police report, the police investigated, and took no further action. They said they didn’t even need to interview me.”
The allegation could still carry political consequences. Yekutiel is not an unknown figure in San Francisco politics. The Standard described him as “a fixture of San Francisco politics,” noting his ties to figures such as former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie.