Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken announced Friday that she has an alcohol problem and sought treatment at a rehab center last year. This admission comes as her office faces a public claim from her chief of staff, Berenice Ballinas, alleging heavy drinking at official functions, racist slurs, and inappropriate questioning of sexuality and faith. Aitken denies the more serious allegations made against her.
In an Instagram post Friday morning, Mayor Aitken stated that in June 2025, she left a conference early to check herself into the Betty Ford Center. She explained that she realized she had an "unhealthy relationship with alcohol" and needed assistance managing stress and responsibilities. She acknowledged "excessive alcohol consumption at conferences or locally" but maintained her denial of the slurs attributed to her.
Aitken’s post followed minutes after Anaheim City Council members emerged from a special closed-door meeting where they discussed the claim filed by Ballinas. The claim, which became public yesterday, details multiple allegations against the mayor. City officials publicly reported that no reportable action was taken during the closed-door session regarding the claim, which Aitken did not attend.
Ballinas's claim alleges incidents including the mayor consuming alcoholic beverages and repeatedly questioning Ballinas about her sexual orientation during a June 10, 2026, birthday celebration at Disneyland’s Club 33. The claim further states that after a three-hour lunch, the mayor insisted on continuing to drink. Later, Ballinas alleges, Aitken met with a friend at the 1901 Lounge in Disney California Adventure and began questioning a Disney Cast Member about their sexuality. Following these events, Ballinas claims her friend’s Club 33 membership was placed on hold due to Aitken’s behavior.
The chief of staff’s claim also describes a June 2025 conference in Tampa where Aitken’s husband reportedly called Ballinas in the middle of the night to assist with the mayor’s departure. Ballinas states she found the mayor in what she "perceived to be an impaired condition" and helped pack her belongings to get her back to California. During the mayor’s subsequent extended absence, Ballinas was reportedly expected to manage inquiries about her whereabouts while continuing her professional responsibilities.
Mayor Aitken also noted a setback in her recovery journey, stating she "hit a bump this past June" and drank at a birthday event, disappointing herself and committing to restart. She shared this to avoid pretending that part of her life "didn’t happen simply because it is now uncomfortable for me to speak of or politically damaging to acknowledge it." She apologized to anyone burdened by her drinking, particularly her family, stating they deserved better.
The claim by Ballinas extends beyond the mayor, alleging that former City Manager Jim Vanderpool also commented on her perceived sexuality. Ballinas’s claim further alleges that Aitken referred to Vanderpool as a “faggot man” and searched his car. It also portrays a situation of "apathetic leadership" at city hall, where Ballinas claims her concerns were dismissed and downplayed. She also alleges illegal conduct related to questions about who paid for Aitken’s husband’s plane ticket to Qatar and states she faced retaliation, including a withheld salary raise, for reporting her concerns.
Residents voiced their concerns at Friday’s city council meeting. Stephanie Mercadante, a resident, questioned why an investigation was not initiated sooner, asking, "Where was the investigation when Berenice was asking city leadership for help?" Mercadante condemned the city’s alleged response, stating, "That is institutional failure and this is bigger than Berenice." She added that city leadership and senior officials were aware of incidents and concerns, yet allegedly minimized them instead of protecting an employee.
Several city council members broke their silence on the matter Friday. Councilman Carlos Leon posted on Instagram, stating the allegations are serious and deserve a fair investigation. He emphasized due process and confirmed that an "independent investigator has now been retained to review the allegations and establish the facts." Councilwoman Natalie Rubalcava also issued an Instagram post before 4 p.m. Friday, expressing she was "deeply troubled by the accusations" and supporting an independent investigation. She highlighted the expectation for elected leaders to serve with honor and for city employees to be treated with dignity, noting that if allegations are true, "both of these promises were broken." Rubalcava specifically called for the "Latino and LGBTQ+ communities" to know that their representatives respect them.
City spokesman Mike Lyster confirmed via email that an independent investigation into the allegations is expected to take place over the next few months. Mayor Aitken, in her Instagram post, stated she would cooperate with the investigation, adding, "Where I made mistakes, I will own them. As to other allegations, I trust the evidence will bear out the truth." She concluded by expressing regret for not believing her Anaheim community would support her, stating she should have given people the chance to offer wisdom and support.
The mayor is currently running for reelection next month against two candidates, Dr. Imran Sharief and Alfredo Rodriguez. Aitken vowed to be a better leader for Anaheim and continue her recovery journey.
