Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken is admitting to having an alcohol problem and checking herself into a rehab center last year while continuing to deny allegations that she hurled racist slurs at her chief of staff.
“About a year and a half ago, in June of 2025, I left a conference early to check myself into the Betty Ford Center. I realized I had an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, and needed help managing the stress and responsibilities in my life,” she said in a post on Instagram Friday morning.
“None of that excuses excessive alcohol consumption at conferences or locally. But accepting responsibility for my alcohol consumption does not equate to the more serious allegations that have been made against me. I have denied the slurs attributed to me, and I stand by that denial,” Aitken said in the Friday post.
The post comes minutes after city council members came out of a special closed door meeting to discuss a claim against the city from Aitken’s chief of staff, Berenice Ballinas, that went public yesterday, alleging the mayor drank heavily at government functions, hurled racist slurs at Ballinas, questioned her sexuality and mocked her faith.
“Every sober journey gets rocky, and I hit a bump this past June and drank at a birthday event. I disappointed myself and committed to start again. I share this because I’m not going to pretend that part of my life didn’t happen simply because it is now uncomfortable for me to speak of or politically damaging to acknowledge it,” Aitken wrote.
According to the claim, Ballinas alleges the mayor asked about her sexuality while heavily intoxicated at a June 10, 2026 birthday celebration for Ballinas at Disneyland’s Club 33.
“During lunch, the Mayor began consuming alcoholic beverages. Again, the Mayor repeatedly questioned Claimant concerning her sexual orientation,” reads the claim. “Following the three-hour lunch, the Mayor insisted on continuing to drink.”
Ballinas also claims the duo later met up with one of the chief of staff’s friends at the 1901 Lounge in Disney California Adventure, during which Ballinas alleges Aitken began to question a Disney Cast Member about their sexuality.
Following the lunch, Ballinas claimed her friend’s Club 33 membership was placed on hold as a result of Aitken’s behavior.
At the end of Friday’s meeting that Aitken didn’t show up to, city officials publicly reported out that they took no reportable action behind closed doors about the claim.
In the claim, Ballinas further alleges former City Manager Jim Vanderpool also commented about her perceived sexuality while simultaneously alleging Aitken referred to him as a “faggot man” and searched his car.
In her claim, Ballinas also paints a picture of apathetic leadership from top executives at city hall that dismissed and downplayed her concerns all while Aitken’s top city advisor became caught in the middle of a growing divide between the mayor and Vanderpool.
Ballinas also alleges in the claim reporting conduct she believed was illegal surrounding questions about who paid for Aitken’s husband’s plane ticket to Qatar and that city officials have retaliated against her for reporting her concerns by withholding her salary raise.
At the Friday morning meeting, roughly half a dozen people spoke out, with many residents condemning city leadership for allegedly minimizing Ballinas’ concerns and only calling for an investigation when the scandal went public.
“Where was the investigation when Berenice was asking city leadership for help?” said Stephanie Mercadante, a resident, at Friday’s city council meeting.
“How dare this city act as though they just learned there was a problem. According to Berenice’s claim, city leadership knew. Senior officials witnessed incidents. She reported concerns and instead of protecting an employee, the alleged response was to minimize it, normalize it, and expect her to manage it. That is not employee protection. That is institutional failure and this is bigger than Berenice.”
Councilman Carlos Leon broke his silence on the issue Friday and said the allegations against the mayor are serious and deserve a fair investigation.
“I believe in due process for everyone involved and allowing the facts to guide any conclusions,” he said in his own Friday Instagram post, speaking publicly on the allegations for the first time.
“An independent investigator has now been retained to review the allegations and establish the facts,” he continued. “This is a difficult situation for everyone involved, and it is important we approach it with both humanity and responsibility.”
As of 1:30 p.m. Friday afternoon, Councilwoman Natalie Rubalcava was the sole member of the dais who hasn’t commented on the issue.
City spokesman Mike Lyster said in an email statement Thursday that an independent investigation into the allegations is expected to take place over the next few months – one that Aitken reiterated in her post she would cooperate with.
“Where I made mistakes, I will own them. As to other allegations, I trust the evidence will bear out the truth,” Aitken wrote in her post.
“I had hoped to share this on my own terms, but life had different plans for me. I regret not believing that my Anaheim community would support me, and should have given people the chance to offer their wisdom and support.”
Aitken said in her Friday post she wasn’t perfect.
“My recovery is not a straight line. I apologize to anyone burdened by my drinking, especially my family. They all deserved better from me,” she wrote.
Ballinas claimed that during a June 2025 conference in Tampa the Mayor’s husband called her and woke her up in the middle of the night to get Aitken packed up and arrange for her to be returned to California.
“Claimant got dressed, went to the Mayor’s room, and encountered the Mayor in what Claimant perceived to be an impaired condition. Claimant remained with the Mayor, packed her belongings, attempted to stabilize the situation, and prepared to get her safely out of the hotel and back to California,” reads the claim.
“After returning from Florida, the Mayor was absent for an extended period of time. During her absence, Claimant was expected to manage inquiries concerning the Mayor’s whereabouts and availability while continuing to manage the Mayor’s governmental schedule and myriad professional responsibilities associated with the Office of the Mayor.”
The scandal comes as Aitken is running for reelection against two relatively unknown political newcomers – Dr. Imran Sharief, a physician, and Alfredo Rodriguez, a general manager of an environmental services company – next month.
Aitken vowed to be a better leader for Anaheim and continue her recovery journey.
“A friend sent this to me and it speaks to me,” Aitken wrote in a comment on her own Instagram post from a different account. “I hope that either all of us or none of us are judged by the actions of our weakest moments, but rather by the strength we show when and if we’re ever given a second chance.”
Editor’s note: Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken’s father, Wylie Aitken, chairs Voice of OC’s board of directors.
Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at helattar@voiceofoc.org.
