Joaquin Arambula is responding to accusations made by his wife, Elizabeth, in their divorce proceedings.

The two sides met in court for the first time Tuesday in front of Fresno County Superior Court Judge Steven Crass. He ordered mediation to discuss child custody issues. The couple have three minor daughters.

Arambula, D-Fresno, is a state assemblymember. He is running for Fresno City Council District 3 in the June 2 primary.

“It was a disappointing day. Elizabeth has refused to allow me to see our girls since Jan. 6, 2026, even though there is no court ruling preventing me from seeing them. It’s Elizabeth’s choice. I have refused to contribute to the media environment she created, but now that she has placed this matter in the public square, I will have more to say as it plays out. Meanwhile, my girls know I love them, and they deserve better than this circus,” Arambula said in a statement sent after the hearing.

Arambula checked himself into a rehabilitation facility for drugs and alcohol in January. He missed a month of work at the state Capitol on excused medical leave from the state Assembly.

“The bottom line is this: I needed help. I got help, and I’m on the path to being a better dad, a better public servant, and a better person. I have faith in our courts, and I trust I will see my girls soon,” Arambula said.

Arambula also shared a court declaration filed Tuesday refuting several accusations made by Elizabeth Arambula.

“I am baffled as to why now Petitioner professes to have ‘significant concerns about the children’s safety and well-being,'” Arambula wrote.

In court filings, Elizabeth Arambula expressed concerns about the girls in her husband’s care. He said that in the month before his rehab stay, he had sole responsibility for two weeks, which included several vacations.

Arambula Answers Accusations About Finances

Arambula withdrew $919,000 from the family’s finances, an attorney for Elizabeth Arambula said in court. She has had to rely on family for support — for a place to live and funds to live on.

In his statement, Arambula said his wife “either directly or indirectly received more than $30,000 from me in the last several weeks. She wants more than $27,000 a month. Thousands of Fresno families don’t make this in a year.”

In his declaration, Arambula called her request for $27,000 in monthly child and spousal support “excessive and unreasonable.” That amount includes $3,000 for travel, $2,500 for groceries, $2,500 for restaurants, and $1,500 in personal care.

In a court filing, Arambula said family expenses are $7,950 a month.

“We both must learn to tighten our belts and live within our means,” Arambula said.

Arambula blamed his wife for lavish spending. While in rehab, Arambula wrote, he noticed thousands of dollars in charges for shows and luxury clothes.

“I therefore transferred what I considered to be my separate property funds into a savings account for safekeeping,” Arambula wrote. He said he made sure their accounts had enough for day-to-day living and closed out some credit card accounts.

Arambula said he would provide a full accounting to the court of the $919,000 he transferred. In court documents, Arambula said he paid a $10,000 retainer to his attorney, L. Kim Aguirre, who works at $425 an hour.

Arambula said his wife “chose to move out” of their Fresno home before he completed rehab. He already used the address to run for city council — a candidate must live in the district — and said he was willing to share the home.

“She left the home a wreck,” Arambula wrote, adding there were no amenities for their girls in the home. He purchased new furniture for $26,000. Her attorney mentioned the furniture spending in court as an example of his lavish spending.

Willing to Test, but Not to Accept Penalties

Arambula said he is willing to undergo drug testing and monitoring.

“I am committed to abstaining from the use of alcohol, marijuana, and all nonprescribed controlled substances at all times, continuously, not just during my custodial periods,” Arambula wrote in his declaration.

Arambula also challenged Elizabeth Arambula’s proposal for consequences for a positive drug test — the loss of unsupervised visits. He called for a court motion to decide supervision before a judge.

He has attended 90 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings over the past 72 days, Arambula said.

Elizabeth Arambula said her husband also had an online gaming addiction, spending $4,700 just in last December.

Arambula admitted to “having gotten sucked in to the Raid: Shadow Legends video game, eventually rising to be one of the top 25 players in the world.” He said he has given that up.

“I only wish I could spend some of that time with my girls,” Arambula said.

Elizabeth Arambula also accused her husband of needing rides from her or staff.

Arambula said life as a publicly elected figure means he is “living in a fishbowl. If I were inebriated during any of those times, it would be nearly impossible to hide.” He said the CHP regularly transports legislators around Sacramento.

He also denied accusations made by his wife that he used a vape pen in front of his home after he returned from rehabilitation and requested that she submit video proof she claims to have.

The divorce case returns to court April 3.

Elizabeth Arambula Responds

Zeppy Attashian, attorney for Elizabeth Arambula, sent GV Wire a statement on behalf of Elizabeth Arambula that said she has spent the 15 years of marriage as a stay-at-home mother, “focused entirely on her family.”

“Her concerns in this matter are centered on the safety and well-being of the children in light of Dr. Arambula’s acknowledged substance-related struggles. The children have never been withheld from Dr. Arambula. Dr. Arambula has had access to calls, texts, and supervised visitation at all times. Ms. Arambula’s request that Dr. Arambula to demonstrate his sobriety through witnessed testing before having unsupervised visitation time are appropriate.  This request is consistent with standard expectations in similar family law matters. The fact that Dr. Arambula is a public official should not alter this standard,” Attashian said.

Elizabeth Arambula has met privately with her husband to resolve the issues, Attashian said.

“Unfortunately, those efforts were not successful. The court subsequently also denied her request for confidentiality.  Nevertheless,  Ms. Arambula remains committed to protecting the children’s privacy and does not believe these deeply personal matters belong in the public arena,” Attashian said. “Ms. Arambula is simply asking Dr. Arambula, her spouse for over 15 years and the father of their children, to put their family first, work toward a resolution. She is seeking to ensure that she and the children continue to be supported and cared for in the same manner they have been throughout the marriage.”