A New Hampshire lawmaker accused of assaulting an adult film producer is comparing his treatment to that of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Seven-term State Rep. Frank Sapareto, who lives in Derry and is vice chair of the House Criminal Justice Committee and Public Safety Committee, is facing a civil lawsuit in California.

The complaint, which was first reported this week by the Associated Press, was filed by Jonathan Carter, an adult film producer.

Carter alleges he was assaulted by Sapareto after he become angry about the filming of an explicit scene.

Sapareto, 58, was cleared of criminal charges. He denies the allegations, and says the two were producing tourism videos together. He calls himself the victim of an extortion effort, claiming Carter demanded $10,000 or he’d “ruin his political career.”

“This is so absurd. Nobody is giving credibility to this except the press. Even the police know it’s false...I know it’s juicy and it’s a week before the election. I know how Judge Kavanaugh feels.”

NHPR has reviewed images of the adult film provided by Carter’s attorney. The footage appears to show Sapareto nude alongside a female actress. Emails between the two also detail the casting of actresses and advertisements on the site Sexyjobs.com.

Sapareto is up for re-election next week. He says he hopes voters “see through this stuff.”

“I’ve served my community for over 20 years. People know me here. This stuff that this dirtbag is saying is obviously just to discredit me,” says Sapareto. He says he plans to file an extortion complaint against Carter.