Rep. Pashayan’s Estranged Wife Says He Beat Her

Sallie C. Pashayan, wife of Rep. Charles (Chip) Pashayan Jr., has filed for divorce and said in a sworn declaration that he had locked her in her home and had beaten her, a newspaper reported.

Pashayan denied the charges set forth in the divorce papers filed Nov. 10 in Los Angeles County Superior Court two days after last month’s election, the Fresno Bee reported in Saturday’s editions.

The Pashayans were married in August, 1985, and live separately in Washington, the newspaper reported.

‘Charming’ During Courtship

Sallie Pashayan, in the declaration, said she found her husband to be “an affable and charming man” during their courtship, but said that changed during marriage.

“Soon after we married, what proved to be Charles’ real nature was revealed. He is given to fits of rage and has a violent temper. He blows up often,” the declaration said.

Sallie Pashayan claimed that despite her Catholic background she decided to divorce her husband, and he allegedly “went berserk” when told the news. She claimed that her husband locked her in a room in their home “where I was held captive for five or six hours.”

She charged that Pashayan “hit me hard across the face and head” after a pizza was delivered to the house later that day.

The 47-year-old congressman, in an interview Friday night with the newspaper, characterized her charges as a twisted account of what happened when she met a pizza delivery man at the door while she was drunk and in improper attire.

“I guess she’s trying to get the upper hand in the divorce,” he said, adding the incident happened “a long time ago.” He said that there were no interior locks in his home and that he had chastised his wife but did not hit her.

‘Never Struck Her’

“I have never struck her or hit her, and that is absolutely false,” he said.

Sallie Pashayan said in the declaration that she was beaten again eight months ago by her husband after returning from a shopping trip. She said she is terrified and can no longer bear the emotional and physical abuse and has requested Pashayan be restrained from going near her.

Pashayan, a Fresno Republican, was reelected to Congress on Nov. 8 for his sixth straight term.