His name is Nathan Ballard and he’s a long time adviser and friend of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Ballard started his own PR agency called The Press Shop which offers crisis communications services to clients with deep pockets including the DNC and the California Democratic Party.
Prominent California Democratic strategist Nathan Ballard — a longtime friend and adviser to Gov. Gavin Newsom — was arrested and jailed on two felony domestic violence charges in Napa that include an allegation of attempting “to suffocate a child with a pillow.”…
The former San Francisco deputy city attorney has been called a “media whisperer” for his high profile roles as the mouthpiece and crisis communications point person for a parade of public figures and A-list corporate clients. He served as spokesperson for then-San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, a role he has also played for the Democratic National Committee and the California Democratic Party, the Getty family, the Golden State Warriors, the Super Bowl and for the presidential campaigns of former Sen. John Kerry and Gen. Wesley Clark.
Ballard has been charged with felony domestic violence and child abuse over an incident that took place in October during a family trip to a resort in Napa.
Mara Ballard, who was referred to by sheriff’s officials as the “adult victim,” told investigators that the episode transpired after Nathan Ballard had consumed a large amount of alcohol and marijuana.
She alleged that Nathan Ballard charged at her and pushed her with both hands in her upper chest, and caused her to hit her head on the glass door, according to Napa County Sheriff spokesman Henry Wofford.
Nathan Ballard then stumbled and fell to the ground. The fall caused Ballard to injure his nose and forehead, “causing him to bleed,” Wofford said, quoting a deputy’s report. Ballard then grabbed a pillow and lay on top of the pillow with the 4-year-old girl underneath, the report states.
“According to the victim, Ballard was either unaware of what he was doing or knew he was trying to hurt the child victim,” Wofford said. “She went onto say that Ballard seemed like he was trying to hurt and harm the child victim.”
Mara Ballard grabbed the child under Nathan Ballard and locked herself and two children in another room. By the time she reported the incident to police the next morning, Nathan Ballard had left. A warrant was issued for his arrest.
This is not going to be a situation where the victim changes her story later on when the couple reunites. Mara Ballard filed for a restraining order a couple days after the incident and filed for divorce a few days after that.
Nathan Ballard’s lawyers say he is dealing with a relapsed drinking problem after having been sober for several years. They maintain he will be exonerated. Politico notes that just last year Ballard was profiled by Better magazine in an article about the Bay Area’s “most successful dads.”
Nathan’s advice to other dads is to be a good role model. “They are more likely to mimic your behavior than to blindly follow your rules,” he explains. “It’s crucial to avoid falling into over-parenting. Not every minute has to be scheduled and supervised. Not every minor infraction deserves a long lecture. It’s our job to raise independent, resilient problem-solvers who will make the word a better place. That means they need to make some mistakes and experience the natural consequences. I aim to be more like a trusted advisor to them instead. When they are grappling with a decision, I like to ask Socratic questions to help them reach a conclusion on their own.”
All I can say is, it’s a good thing he runs a crisis communications team. He’s going to need it.
