Florida State Rep - Fabian Basabe Civil Trial - Lawmaker Basabe FULL TESTIMONY

Testimony of defendant Representative Fabian Basabe (R-Miami Beach), who is being sued for sexual harassment, battery and defamation (July 14, 2026): The Defamatory Tweet and Basabe's Justification • The sources indicate that Basabe published a tweet referring to his former aide Nick Frevola and his mother as a "conning, scheming mother and son duo" who made a profession out of suing people. • The public post also insulted Frevola as "lazy, entitled, scrupulous, self-involved, ungrateful, lying scum". • Under cross-examination, Basabe admitted he did not independently investigate or verify the existence of these alleged lawsuits before publishing the claim. • Instead, he testified that he relied solely on a past conversation where he claims the Frevolas told him they had received a settlement. The Proffer of Witness "T.S." • During a special hearing outside the presence of the jury, the plaintiffs introduced a witness identified as "T.S.". • T.S. testified that Basabe drugged and raped him in 2003 after inviting him to a Malibu condo, asking him into a hot tub, and serving him a strange-tasting drink. • T.S. described losing his balance, becoming violently ill, and repeatedly blacking out. • He testified that he awoke completely naked to Basabe sexually assaulting him, noting that he was physically unable to fight back despite verbally telling Basabe to stop. The Judge's Evidentiary Rulings • Plaintiffs' counsel argued that T.S.'s testimony demonstrated a decades-long modus operandi of using intoxicants to commit sexual misconduct, which would corroborate the current plaintiffs' claims. • The judge ultimately excluded T.S.'s testimony from the jury trial. • The judge reasoned that while the testimony might meet the legal standard for showing intent or plan, the 2003 events were too tangential to the current plaintiffs and created an unfair danger of confusing the issues that outweighed the testimony's probative value. Basabe's Defense and Narrative Testimony • When testifying before the jury, Basabe defended his tweet by characterizing it as his protected personal opinion. • He testified that his harsh post was motivated by a deep concern over the "lack of due process" and his frustration over enduring massive investigations based on allegations he claims were entirely uncorroborated. • During a narrative statement, Basabe addressed a photograph of himself kissing a male friend, explaining it was taken for a well-known photographer's "kiss book" art project. • He emphasized his right to personal privacy and concluded that a person's sexual orientation does not determine whether they committed misconduct. NOTE: Original audio is worst I've seen in 2026. Repaired as much as possible with 5 different tools. 00:00:00 - Florida State Rep Basabe Civil Trial - Fabian Basabe 00:00:01 - Testimony Preview 00:03:11 - Fabian Basabe Testimony Begins 00:04:25 - Did you just wink at the jury? 00:06:25 - Basabe's Supervisory Role 00:11:43 - The Defamatory Tweet 00:17:34 - Sidebar on Lawsuit Evidence 00:21:41 - Admitting Lack of Verification 00:28:06 - Legal Arguments on T.S. 00:54:55 - Witness "T.S." Sworn In 00:56:01 - T.S. Proffer: 2003 Incident 01:00:27 - T.S. Proffer: Assault Allegations 01:03:35 - T.S. Proffer: The Aftermath 01:09:41 - Cross-Examination of T.S. 01:15:56 - Judge Excludes T.S. Testimony 01:20:12 - Basabe Direct-Examination Resumes 01:24:19 - Intent Behind the Tweet 01:32:07 - Basabe's Narrative Defense