Legislative aide Nicolas Frevola mentioned he was talking with a lobbyist and two interns at a Tallahassee social gathering on January 3, when his boss, Florida Home Rep. Fabián Basabe of Miami Seaside, approached. In accordance with Frevola, he and Basabe “exchanged phrases” earlier than Basabe slapped him throughout the face and compelled him to face within the nook of the room for ten seconds like a naughty baby.

Having accomplished a two-month probe into the dustup, a legislation agency enlisted by the Florida Home of Representatives says the allegation of a facial slap couldn’t be verified, although there was an obvious battle and bodily contact between the 2 males.

“Basabe acknowledged that…Frevola initiated undesirable, non-violent bodily contact with him,” the legislation agency of Allen, Norton & Blue writes in a June 28 report, recounting an interview with the state consultant. “Basabe added that whereas he doesn’t recall precisely what occurred, he does know that in response, he slapped away Frevola’s hand and will have made contact with him.”

When the agency interviewed the lobbyist, she mentioned she was on the social gathering however didn’t witness the alleged smack to the face.

Employed April 6 after Frevola’s allegations got here to mild, the agency was unable to trace down the 2 interns who Frevola claimed have been witnesses to the incident. Frevola mentioned he didn’t know their names, whereas one other one who had attended the social gathering instructed the agency there have been no interns in attendance, in response to the report.

“With respect to the particular allegation by Frevola that he was slapped within the face by Basabe, primarily based upon conflicts within the factual accounts offered by the members and a scarcity of corroborating witnesses, the discovering is inconclusive,” reads the agency’s report, authored by lawyer Michael Mattimore and addressed to the Florida Home of Representatives, Workplace of the Normal Counsel.

Basabe’s lawyer, Robert Fernandez, tells New Instances Basabe totally cooperated with the investigation.

“Not a single alleged third-party witness corroborated Mr. Frevola’s model of occasions on the night of January 3, 2023. Consultant Basabe want to thank the Speaker’s Workplace for the thorough and immediate investigation that was carried out and appears ahead to focusing his time and vitality on the true points going through his constituents in Home District 106,” Fernandez mentioned in an announcement.

Frevola referred New Instances to his lawyer, who has not responded to an emailed request for remark.

Basabe was elected final November, beating out Jordan Leonard in a good race during which Basabe ran as a average Republican. The previous actuality TV present star was the topic of heated protests after he voted in favor of the “Do not Say Homosexual” enlargement invoice and different culture-war measures that focused LGBTQ points.

Basabe was no stranger to controversy throughout his marketing campaign, as his previous tabloid antics, together with a 2020 incident during which he threw a lady’s telephone throughout a pool social gathering, got here below scrutiny.

CBS Information reported that Frevola was concerned in a separate probe this 12 months in reference to Florida state Rep. Carolina Amesty’s declare that he drove a car at her whereas Frevola’s mom, Janet Frevola, was operating in opposition to Amesty in a 2022 Florida Home main. Frevola denied the declare, saying Amesty’s description of the driving force’s automotive didn’t match his car.