Revealed: Advisor to Gov. Newsom penned an op-ed preaching about being a role model dad before being charged with domestic violence for 'trying to suffocate his daughter with a pillow and pushing his wife into a glass door'

An advisor to California Governor Gavin Newsom who was recently brought up on domestic violence charges for allegedly attempting to suffocate his four-year-old daughter and for pushing his wife into a glass door once wrote a column about ‘what it takes to be a rad dad.’

‘I believe I was put on earth to be a dad,’ Nathan Ballard wrote in a June 2019 essay for the lifestyle site Better.

‘Every day, my heart is bursting with love for these kids.’

The 51-year-old Ballard was arrested on October 18 in connection with a drunken incident at the Carneros Resort and Spa in Napa Valley.

Nathan Ballard, 51, is seen above after his domestic violence arrest in connection to a drunken incident in October during which he allegedly tried to suffocate his four-year-old daughter and pushed his wife into a glass door. He is seen above in his mugshot with a scratch above his eye. Last year, he wrote an article about being a role model dad

The drunken incident happened at the Carneros Resort and Spa in Napa Valley (seen above)

An attorney for Mr Ballard - a prominent California Democratic strategist who is a longtime friend and advisor to Gov. Newsom - called the charges 'unsubstantiated allegations.'

According to Napa County Sheriff's Department, Mr Ballard pushed his wife, Mara, then stumbled and fell, which left him bleeding from his head and nose.

Mara Ballard has also accused him of also leaning his weight on a pillow over their four-year-old daughter's face.

In his essay for Better, Nathan Ballard wrote about meeting his wife at Newsom’s home in Marin County, where they were both invited for Christmas dinner.

He wrote about the importance of being a good role model as a father.

‘ are more likely to mimic your behavior than to blindly follow your rules,’ he wrote.

‘It’s crucial to avoid falling into over-parenting. Not every minute has to be scheduled and supervised.’

Nathan Ballard also described his approach to disciplining his children.

Ballard paid his set bail of $75,000. Ballard issued a statement in response on Thursday saying: 'I've spent my career in crisis communications fighting on behalf of the wrongfully accused, and now for the first time I really know what it feels like to be in their shoes'

‘Not every minor infraction deserves a long lecture,’ he wrote.

‘It’s our job to raise independent, resilient problem-solvers who will make the word a better place.

‘That means they need to make some mistakes and experience the natural consequences.’

The public relations executive said that he parents his children with the goal of being ‘more like a trusted advisor to them.’

‘When they are grappling with a decision, I like to ask Socratic questions to help them reach a conclusion on their own,’ he wrote. 

On October 18, Nathan Ballard was arrested and booked into a Napa County jail and hit with with two felony domestic violence charges.

The charges include willful cruelty to a child with possible injury and death, and domestic violence. 

Mara Ballard told investigators that when she saw her husband suffocating their daughter, she pushed him off and took her daughter and a three-year-old boy into another room and locked him out. 

She also told officers that Ballard had consumed 'a large amount of alcohol and some marijuana,' and was suffering from a mental health episode. 

She reported the alleged attack to police on October 18, and Ballard was arrested and transported to the county jail on October 20.  

Ballard paid his set bail of $75,000 and was released later that day, according to documents from the Napa County Sheriff's Department.

Ballard issued a statement in response on Thursday saying: 'I've spent my career in crisis communications fighting on behalf of the wrongfully accused, and now for the first time I really know what it feels like to be in their shoes. 

Mr Ballard's lawyer said he resumed drinking in April after an eight-years of sobriety after the death of his father but is now sober again. The resort where the incident happened is seen above

An advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom has been charged with domestic violence for allegedly pushing his wife into a glass door and attempting to suffocate their four-year old daughter with a pillow

'I will be exonerated. I love my children more than anything on earth, and we will be reunited.'

Mr Ballard's lawyer said he resumed drinking in April after an eight-years of sobriety after the death of his father but is now sober again.

He is currently in a residential recovery program to deal with his drinking problem. 

The lawyer's full statement said: 'I am confident that my client, Nathan Ballard, will be fully acquitted of these charges after the District Attorney's Office has a chance to review the facts and learn all sides of the story. 

'Nate is a well-respected professional and a member of the bar with a spotless ethical record. He has no criminal history.'

'Nate knows that he is not perfect, but he is facing his own challenges head-on.' 

Mr Ballard also runs The Press Shop - a San Francisco media relations firm, and was a spokesman for Newsom during his days as the city's mayor.

He also advised or represented former Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, the Democratic National Committee, California's state Democratic Party and the Golden State Warriors.