Lobbyist charged with sexually assaulting woman

Fairfax County police say a lobbyist and former George W. Bush administration official has been charged with sexually assaulting a woman he met at a Bailey's Crossroads store.

Police say 44-year-old Sloan Rappoport of Arlington was arrested Tuesday and charged with abduction, sexual battery and obscene display in a Jan. 31 incident.

Police say Rappoport struck up a conversation with a 28-year-old woman and later asked her to get in his car. That's when police say he locked the doors, drove away and sexually assaulted her.

Rappoport's attorney calls it a "major misunderstanding."

Lobbying firm Downey McGrath Group, where Rappoport was vice president, says he has been relieved of his duties.

A biography on the group's website said Rappoport was an adviser to former Commerce Secretary Donald Evans.