Last week, Eddie ‘Piolin’ Sotelo suddenly lost his popular, nationally-syndicated Spanish-language radio show. It’s now coming to light that the move came after abuse allegations from one of his staffers.
The Los Angeles Times has obtained documents that show that writer/producer Alberto "Beto" Cortez, who worked on Piolin por la Manana, claimed that Sotelo was “physically, sexually and emotionally harassing” him over three years, stopping in January. The allegations were made in a letter Cortez’s attorney, Robert R. Clayton, sent to Univision executives Roberto Llamas and Jose Valle. Univision airs Sotelo’s show on the radio and broadcasts it on TV.
Cortez also claims that Sotelo pressured him and the rest of the staff to write fake letters that supported immigration reform in Congress, an effort Sotelo voiced support for on the show. Cortez claims that when an immigration reform drive didn’t get 1 million signatures, he had the staffers “clandestinely photocopy letters so that it would appear as if he had gathered 1 million signatures.”
“A disgruntled, troubled employee has made malicious and false claims about Eddie Sotelo,” Jeffrey Spitz, Sotelo’s attorney, said in a statement to the Times. “This was done as part of a demand for money.... The employee worked with Eddie for more than a decade. The employee's allegations of harassment and falsification of immigration letters are pure fiction intended to gain a financial settlement.”
TMZ notes that Cortez has not filed a lawsuit, but said in his letter that he does have witnesses who will support him. Cortez claims that the harassment included the use of gay slurs, despite the fact that he is straight.
Univision did not issue a statement. Last week, when they ended their relationship with Soleto, it issued a statement that read, “Sotelo and Univision have agreed to part company.” Soleto’s statement at the time was, “It's been a great run with Univision.”
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