[Update] Manny Yekutiel Drops Out of D8 Supervisor Race After New Groping Allegation, Lost Endorsements

Cafe owner Manny Yekutiel, whose political ambitions in San Francisco date back years now, has again been accused of aggressive groping and faced a mass retreat among his endorsers for District 8 Supervisor Thursday, leading him to drop out of the race within hours.

It had seemed like it would be smooth sailing for Manny Yekutiel going into the November election for District 8 supervisor, after he had gained the endorsement of the mayor, multiple city supervisors, and the local Democratic committee — the latter by two votes with 10 abstentions. This despite a June allegation by a man named Brad Chapin about Yekutiel aggressively groping him under his pants at a party in early 2020 — a case in which charges were never filed, and Yekutiel flatly denied the allegations.

But now, as the SF Standard reports, two more men have come forward with somewhat similar allegations. Ryan Clark and his partner, who is going unnamed, claim that Yekutiel aggressively groped them both without consent at a Pride party in 2023. Specifically, they say he grabbed one of them by the testicles over his pants, and the other under his pants.

Clark and his partner say that this incident happened at The Midway, on the dancefloor, and they say that they repeatedly told Yekutiel they were monogamous and wanted him to stop, which he allegedly did not do until Clark shoved him. Clark acknowledged he had previously had one date with Yekutiel, and Yekutiel claims they had a previous "consensual sexual relationship."

Clark added, speaking to the Standard, "It crossed so many boundaries. One of the reasons why I decided to come forward was the way that Manny reacted to Brad’s accusation, saying that it was false."

Yekutiel first issued a sort of non-denial of the new allegations, saying in a statement, "I may have had too much to drink. I remember running into Ryan at parties and being physically affectionate with each other, though I have no memory of the specific encounter he describes."

But subsequently, Yekutiel said he was dropping out of the race, and gave a second statement. "I am not admitting to having assaulted anyone, and some of the things that are being said about me are fundamentally untrue," Yekutiel said, per Mission Local. "But I am deeply sorry for any boundaries that I crossed. I’m going to take this time to work on myself."

Mission Local earlier reported on Thursday morning that Mayor Daniel Lurie and a half dozen other political figures who previously endorsed Yekutiel have now rescinded those endorsements over the new allegations. The rescinders include supervisors Bilal Mahmoud, Stephen Sherrill, and Danny Sauter, along with Assemblymember and former supervisor Catherine Stefani, and Director of the city's Office of Transgender Initiatives Honey Mahogany.

The SF Democratic Party was also reportedly considering holding a special meeting on October 11 to vote on rescinding their endorsement.

Saying that he would not be making another endorsement in the D8 race, Lurie issued a statement saying, "When I endorsed Manny in September, I believed he was the best candidate to represent District 8. My endorsement is a statement of my confidence in someone’s character and leadership, and in light of the additional accounts reported today I am withdrawing it. Coming forward is hard and these survivors deserve to be heard, and treated with dignity and respect."

Standing by Yekutiel until Thursday afternoon was incumbent D8 supervisor and President of the Board of Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who told the Bay Area Reporter, "I have known him for years, believe his character, and these allegations do not change the person I know or the reasons I support him."

Several hours later, Mandelman would join the wave of rescinded endorsements, writing on Instagram, "Manny is an extraordinary person who has made extraordinary contributions to San Francisco. Unfortunately, it has also become painfully clear to me that he has work to do on himself and is not ready to serve as an elected official."

Still maintaining her endorsement of Yekutiel on Thursday was State Treasurer Fiona Ma, who faced her own allegations of same-sex sexual harassment five years ago.

A group of five LGBTQ+ elected officials, including DCCC members Peter Gallotta and Emma Hare, signed a letter this morning calling on Yekutiel to drop out of the race.

"As LGBTQ elected officials in San Francisco, we are sickened by, furious with, and ashamed of those that seek or claim to represent the gay community while denying, dismissing, or defending sexual abuse and assault," the letter says. "Gay men do not need a 'different threshold' for sexual assault. We need a higher standard of leadership for our community and city."

Yekutiel's main competitor in the race for District 8, who now becomes the frontrunner, is former Nancy Pelosi aide Gary McCoy, who is also openly gay and has the endorsement of the progressive Harvey Milk Democratic Club, and the Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club, as well as endorsements from Pelosi, and supervisors Connie Chan, Matt Dorsey, and Myrna Melgar.

Previously: Following Contentious Public Meeting, SF Dems Endorse Manny Yekutiel for District 8

This post has been updated with Yekutiel's new statement about leaving the race, and Mandelman's latest statement.