Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg chummed it up with the #MeToo scandal-hit former mayor of West Hollywood twice - the second time after his team was made aware of the allegations against the Californian politician, DailyMail.com can disclose.

John Duran stepped down as mayor following multiple accusations of sexual misconduct, including thrusting his hand down the underpants of a fellow member of the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles.

The photographs emerged hours before Buttigieg appears almost center stage at the second night of Democratic debates for the party's 2020 candidates, where he will stand beside Joe Biden, the front runner.

The 59-year-old politician first posted a picture with Buttigieg, 37, and four others on his Facebook page at the presidential hopeful's star-studded fundraiser, held last month at Gwyneth Paltrow's LA mansion.

Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, 37, (third from left) was pictured twice with the former mayor of West Hollywood John Duran (far right). The 59-year-old politician first posted a picture with Buttigieg, 37, and four others on his Facebook page at the presidential hopeful's star-studded fundraiser, held last month at Gwyneth Paltrow's LA mansion (pictured)

Last week, Duran posed again with Buttigieg. The pair were at the 36th Annual Conference of the Presidential Candidate Forum hosted by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) in Miami, Florida.

He wrote: 'At Gwyneth Paltrow event with Mayor Pete and Chasten.'

DailyMail.com contacted Buttigieg's spokespeople at the time to ask if the candidate was aware of the allegations against Duran. A spokesperson said that Buttigieg 'takes hundreds of photos' with people at events every day.

'The campaign didn't invite him (Duran), he hasn't contributed to the campaign, and we don't believe they had ever met prior to Thursday's event,' the statement read.

DailyMail.com did not run a story.

But last week, Duran posed again with Buttigieg.

The pair were at the 36th Annual Conference of the Presidential Candidate Forum hosted by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) in Miami, Florida.

Buttigieg and Duran are seen with their arms around each other and sporting large grins.

Duran posted the photo on his Facebook page and gushed: 'With 8 Presidential candidates and 1000 Latino elected officials! I have to admit it - falling for this guy right here! Mayor Pete Buttigieg So bright and clever! Adelante!'

Earlier in the day he shared a photo of Buttigieg on stage giving his speech to the mostly Latino conference crowd as well as photos of the other seven candidates who appeared.

Tagging himself at the Telemundo Center where the event was held, he wrote: 'Incredible presidential candidate forum at NALEO conference in Miami!'

DailyMail.com contacted Buttigieg's spokespeople at the time to ask if the candidate was aware of the allegations against Duran. A spokesperson said: 'The campaign didn't invite him (Duran), he hasn't contributed to the campaign, and we don't believe they had ever met prior to Thursday's event'

In an interview with DailyMail.com Duran described Buttigieg as an 'extraordinary' man and said the presidential hopeful recognized him at the conference

In an interview with DailyMail.com Duran described Buttigieg as an 'extraordinary' man and said the presidential hopeful recognized him at the conference.

'He caught my eye across the room and he smiled, you know, I smiled back, it's the third time I've seen him, he came up, we embraced each other and I said 'how's it going?' I thanked him and we took our photograph together.

'He's very friendly, he has a great deal of grace. I've heard him speak, at not only at LGBT events, but this weekend he addressed 1,000 elected officials, 95 percent of whom were not gay, and he did an extraordinary job.

'I think he continues to amaze and impress me, but it's still so early. He's just doing an incredible job.'

The photos with the #MeToo-hit former mayor, however, could prove embarrassing for Buttigieg, who is the first openly gay presidential candidate.

In April, West Hollywood City Council - on which Duran still serves as an elected member - censured him for attempting to 'publicly shame' his accusers and making statements that 'suggest that there is a different standard of appropriate workplace behavior for gay men.'

Duran, who is HIV-positive, was first accused of sexual harassment by council colleague Ian Owens in 2015 after the pair met on LGBT dating app Grindr. The case resulted in a $500,000 payout by the city to Owens.

The former mayor quit as board member of the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles in February this year after multiple members accused him of sexual misconduct.

Three members of the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles (pictured above) alleged that Duran, who is the board chairman, made sexual comments and touched them inappropriately

In an interview with a local blogger, Duran denied all alleged sexual misconduct, saying that he wouldn't have groped one of his chorus accusers because he was 'a skinny Korean kid with pimples on his cheek,' and protested that West Hollywood was a 'sex-based city'

In an interview with a local blogger, Duran denied all alleged sexual misconduct, saying that he wouldn't have groped one of his chorus accusers because he was 'a skinny Korean kid with pimples on his cheek,' and protested that West Hollywood was a 'sex-based city'.

His comments have unsettled the gay community of Los Angeles, whose support Buttigieg was courting during a visit to the city in May.

When asked if he was concerned that people may react to the photographs with Buttigieg by saying it wasn't a good idea for the 2020 candidate, Duran told DailyMail.com: 'I think only people who are ridiculous would say that.'

'I've been doing LGBT rights for 40 years and in 40 years I had this thing happen in January with the Gay Men's Chorus, one complaint was filed, and it was determined not to be true.'

He pointed out that the allegation was that he put two fingers in the waistband of another man's underwear not groped him.'

He added: 'People here in town they love me or they hate me.

'What made such a scandalous headline for people has now mostly blown over here and people know me for my 40 years of work.'

Duran added that Buttigieg, 'probably knows little to nothing about' the allegations.'

When asked if he was concerned that people may react to the photographs with Buttigieg by saying it wasn't a good idea for the 2020 candidate, Duran told DailyMail.com: 'I think only people who are ridiculous would say that'

Buttigieg, a former Navy intelligence officer, is currently mayor of South Bend, Indiana. He has been married to his husband, Chasten (pictured together), a junior high school teacher, since 2018

He added: 'It's not the first time my name has been in the paper in a negative headline and it hasn't impacted me and I've been elected five times so I'm not concerned about it.

'I'm still on the West Hollywood City Council board, I'm still an elected official and I'm still on the national council of an elected official organization.'

Around 100 people attended Buttigieg's glitzy fundraiser event in LA last month, hosted by Hollywood star Paltrow and her husband Brad Falchuk. Others present included Bradley Whitford, Rob Reiner and Martin Sheen.

The former US ambassador to Spain, James Costos, a close friend of the Obamas, reportedly attended, along with former deputy attorney general Sally Yates, who was fired by Trump.

During his fundraising blitz in LA, Buttigieg also spoke at West Hollywood nightclub The Abbey, a popular gay bar known for its male and female go-go dancers.

Buttigieg, a former Navy intelligence officer, is currently mayor of South Bend, Indiana. He has been married to his husband, Chasten, a junior high school teacher, since 2018.

If elected, the candidate would be both the youngest and first openly gay president.

A spokesperson for Buttigieg said of his latest photograph with Duran: 'Pete meets any number of people at events, especially an event as busy and crowded as NALEO, and he meets and takes photos with hundreds of people without knowing their backstory.'