Probe Into Fabián Basabe Face-Slapping Claim Ends With a Question Mark

It was the alleged facial slap heard round Florida Capitol Hill.

Legislative aide Nicolas Frevola said he was speaking with a lobbyist and two interns at a Tallahassee social gathering on January 3, when his boss, Florida House Rep. Fabián Basabe of Miami Beach, approached. According to Frevola, he and Basabe "exchanged words" before Basabe slapped him across the face and forced him to stand in the corner of the room for ten seconds like a naughty child.

Having completed a two-month probe into the dustup, a law firm enlisted by the Florida House of Representatives says the allegation of a facial slap could not be verified, though there was an apparent conflict and physical contact between the two men.

"Basabe stated that...Frevola initiated unwanted, non-violent physical contact with him," the law firm of Allen, Norton & Blue writes in a June 28 report, recounting an interview with the state representative. "Basabe added that while he does not recall exactly what happened, he does know that in response, he slapped away Frevola’s hand and may have made contact with him."

When the firm interviewed the lobbyist, she said she was at the party but did not witness the alleged smack to the face.

Hired April 6 after Frevola's allegations came to light, the firm was unable to track down the two interns who Frevola claimed were witnesses to the incident. Frevola said he did not know their names, while another person who had attended the party told the firm there were no interns in attendance, according to the report.

"With respect to the specific allegation by Frevola that he was slapped in the face by Basabe, based upon conflicts in the factual accounts provided by the participants and a lack of corroborating witnesses, the finding is inconclusive," reads the firm's report, authored by attorney Michael Mattimore and addressed to the Florida House of Representatives, Office of the General Counsel.

Basabe's attorney, Robert Fernandez, tells New Times Basabe fully cooperated with the investigation.

"Not a single alleged third-party witness corroborated Mr. Frevola’s version of events on the evening of January 3, 2023. Representative Basabe would like to thank the Speaker’s Office for the thorough and prompt investigation that was conducted and looks forward to focusing his time and energy on the real issues facing his constituents in House District 106," Fernandez said in a statement.

Frevola referred New Times to his attorney, who has not responded to an emailed request for comment.

Basabe was elected last November, beating out Jordan Leonard in a tight race in which Basabe ran as a moderate Republican. The former reality TV show star was the subject of heated protests after he voted in favor of the "Don't Say Gay" expansion bill and other culture-war measures that targeted LGBTQ issues.

Basabe was no stranger to controversy during his campaign, as his past tabloid antics, along with a 2020 incident in which he threw a woman's phone during a pool party, came under scrutiny.

CBS News reported that Frevola was involved in a separate probe this year in connection with Florida state Rep. Carolina Amesty's claim that he drove a vehicle at her while Frevola's mother, Janet Frevola, was running against Amesty in a 2022 Florida House primary. Frevola denied the claim, saying Amesty's description of the driver's car did not match his vehicle.