Nathan Ballard, a high-profile Democratic strategist and adviser to Gov. Gavin Newsom, was charged with two felony counts of domestic violence after his wife alleged he pushed her into a glass door and attempted to suffocate their 4-year-old daughter with a pillow, Napa County officials said.
The alleged incident occurred on Oct. 17 during a family weekend getaway at the Carneros Resort and Spa. Ballard’s wife, Mara, reported the episode the next day. Nathan Ballard, 51, declined to make a statement to investigators and was placed under arrest on Oct. 20, according to the Napa County Sheriff’s Office.
He was released on $75,000 bail.
“Nate and Mara went on an overnight vacation to Napa on Oct. 17 with their two young children. That night, after they both had too much to drink, they had an argument,” Ballard’s attorney, Tony Brass, said in a statement Thursday. “Nate was the only one who emerged with any injuries. I saw and documented those injuries firsthand.”
Brass said he’s confident his client “will be fully acquitted of these charges after the District Attorney's Office has a chance to review the facts and learn all sides of the story.”
Napa County Assistant District Attorney Paul Gero said Ballard was charged with one felony count of domestic violence involving his wife and one felony count of child abuse involving their daughter.
Ballard’s next court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 29 in Napa County Superior Court, Gero said. He has not yet entered a plea.
Ballard has for years been a prominent public relations specialist, with clients including the Golden State Warriors, the Democratic National Committee and the California Democratic Party. He was Newsom’s communications director when Newsom was mayor of San Francisco.
Mara Ballard, who was referred to by sheriff’s officials as the “adult victim,” told investigators that the episode transpired after Nathan Bal... (Read more)
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