The new liaison to local law enforcement for the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles is facing state criminal charges himself, and has a string of prior convictions for driving under the influence, public records show.
File: Bill Essayli, First Assistant U.S. Attorney, at LA FBI Office on July 7, 2026 in Los Angeles.
Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Shawn Christopher Lewis, who previously served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli's chief of staff when he was a California assemblyman, is now working at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California as a community resource specialist, a spokesperson for Essayli's office confirmed. Lewis, the spokesperson added, "wears many hats" and will also help in public affairs, a role that entails drafting press releases, speaking with reporters and promoting the work of the office.Lewis was hired even though he has been convicted for driving under the influence at least three times — in 2013, 2015 and 2021, according to public records obtained by CBS News. He is currently facing charges of misdemeanor battery and taking property in Sacramento, after he allegedly repeatedly punched a man in the head and face and threw his cell phone onto the roof of a nearby building, preventing him from calling 911, according to police reports, court filings and an interview with the alleged victim. The May 12 police report shows Lewis was initially also booked on charges of resisting arrest and public intoxication, in addition to the battery charge he now faces in Sacramento Superior Court, records show.Lewis was still on probation for his third DUI conviction when Sacramento police arrested him. On Wednesday, the Yolo County District Attorney's Office filed a violation of probation and an order to appear in court for that case too, records show.
