Less than a year ago, Jonathan Pinkston was publicly positioning himself as a bold, reform-minded candidate for Sebastopol mayor — a self-described visionary seeking to reshape the small Sonoma County city’s future.
Now, the 38-year-old co-founder of Soft Medicine Sanctuary, who for a time was looking to expand his wellness-focused business into Arcata and became involved in Humboldt County through a relationship and business partnership, has been ousted from the company amid allegations of sexual assault and financial coercion detailed in Humboldt County court records.
According to a Feb. 26, 2026 article in the Press Democrat, Pinkston’s former girlfriend, Clairese Mayo of McKinleyville, was granted a domestic violence restraining order in December by a Humboldt County judge. In a 168-page filing, Mayo alleges repeated sexual abuse, physical assault and financial coercion during their relationship. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to the Press Democrat, it has an active investigation into a reported June sexual assault in McKinleyville. Pinkston has denied the allegations in court filings and in a letter to employees, writing that “all of my sexual relationships have been consensual” and that he has “never in my life physically or sexually attacked anyone.” He has not been charged with a crime…