A well-connected San Francisco activist turned political candidate is facing an allegation that he groped an acquaintance at a party in 2020.
Manny Yekutiel, a cafe owner who’s hosted top Dems like Kamala Harris, Gov. Gavin Newsom and former First Lady Jill Biden at his Mission District hotspot Manny’s Cafe, is facing the upsetting sexual assault claim as he campaigns to represent the famed Castro neighborhood on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
Brad Chapin, a city gardener, alleged that Yekutiel brazenly accosted him at a house party in 2020 — grabbing his testicles before insulting his physique in claims first detailed by the San Francisco Standard.
Chapin alleged that a “sweating” Yekutiel approached him at a February 2020 party and painfully clenched his genitals “like an animal,” according to the report.
“He grabbed me, and I was trying to get away. He wouldn’t let me go,” Chapin told The Standard. “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,” he added.
Chapin, also a progressive political activist, reportedly told friends about the alleged incident after the party and filed a police report in April — even wearing a police-issued recording device while confronting Yekutiel about the alleged assault, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
That confrontation did not produce any useful evidence, as Yekutiel denied the incident — and the investigation was marked “inactive,” the paper reported.
Text messages Chapin sent to friends about the alleged incident were reviewed by the Chronicle and Standard.
Yekutiel, a Los Angeles native, gained fame as an influential Democratic organizer known for hosting political and civic discussions, phone banks, watch parties and other community events at his popular cafe.
The cafe became an essential stop for rising Democrats to help raise money and rally support in the progressive stronghold of San Francisco.
Yekutiel’s bid to represent the Castro neighborhood racked up a long list of endorsements from leading Dems like Sen. Cory Booker, Lt. Gov Eleni Kounalakis, Assemblymembers Matt Haney and Catherine Stefani, and former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown.
But a handful of those supporters, including Attorney General Rob Bonta, Supervisor Myrna Melgar and Rep. Lateefah Simon, rescinded their endorsements after Chapin’s allegation, The Standard reported.
“I take these allegations seriously, and I’ve said directly to the person who made them that he deserves to be heard. But I know what’s true for me: I didn’t do this,” Yekutiel told The Post in a text.
“The police investigated and closed the matter without pursuing it further,” he added.
“I have gone out, I’ve partied, and I’ve been part of the city’s queer nightlife scene, but I’ve always tried to respect people’s boundaries and treat people with respect as best I can,” Yekutiel further stated in a social media video posted Monday afternoon.
He alleged the public accusation was intended to “assassinate” his character.
“What I will say is campaigns can get ugly, and I think that’s part of what’s happening here,” Yekutiel wrote in the text message.
The aspiring pol is running against Gary McCoy, a public health advocate and former top aide to Rep. Nancy Pelosi.
Catie Stewart, McCoy’s spokesperson, called any suggestion that his campaign had any role in Chapin coming forward “totally false” and insulting to survivors of sexual assault.
“The truth is that Brad’s bravery in coming forward is remarkable, and Gary stands with him and believes him,” Stewart said.
