Tag: sexual harassment

Tweet of the Day, I RT This Tweet From @aterkel Unironically edition.

After all, this revelation about progressive PR firm Fitzgibbon Media’s President Trevor FitzGibbon’s apparent history of sexual assaults/harassment is absolutely a scandal and an outrage. Particularly when, as @baseballcrank notes, you look at the third paragraph in that list.

Then again, we’ve known for some time that progressives are curiously lax sometimes in policing their own. Or, more accurately: in policing their own white males. It’s nice to see some on the Left caring about that, for a change.

It astounds me that friends of politicians…

…and I mean true, sincere friends – anyway, it shocks me that you’d keep anything remotely resembling an archive of your correspondence with them. I know that you’re not supposed to say that in public, given that it flies right into the (truly good) principle of trying to preserve of history.  But… people like me exist.  And when we’re given this tidbit of information:

Hillary Clinton’s blunt assessments were not confined to Monica Lewinsky. In a Dec. 3, 1993, diary entry, [Diane] Blair recounted a conversation with the first lady about “Packwood”—a reference to then-Sen. Bob Packwood, an influential Republican on health care embroiled in a sexual harassment scandal.

“HC tired of all those whiney women, and she needs him on health care,” wrote Blair.

Continue reading It astounds me that friends of politicians…

#waronwomen Alleged sexual assault, coverup, of minority Democratic staffers in Kentucky.

Oh, look.  A Democratic-controlled legislature stonewalling sexual harassment charges made by Democratic female staffers* against a white Democratic state legislator.  I’d say shocking, except that it’s not.  It’s highly offensive, but it’s not shocking.

Two longtime Kentucky statehouse employees have filed ethics complaints against Democratic state Rep. John A. Arnold Jr., alleging a pattern of sexual assault and harassment dating back to early 2010.

Cassaundra Cooper and Yolanda Costner, in separate complaints, allege Arnold inappropriately touched them and made lewd and vulgar comments in numerous incidents over several years. Arnold is a veteran legislator from Sturgis.

Continue reading #waronwomen Alleged sexual assault, coverup, of minority Democratic staffers in Kentucky.

Nancy Pelosi must resign from the House over Bob Filner coverup.

I usually try not to put things that starkly, particularly since a Republican saying that a Democrat needs to resign is going to be (justifiably) taken with a grain of salt, but… this is ridiculous.

“I blew the whistle on [Bob Filner’s sexual harassment] two years ago to the Democratic Party leadership,” former Assemblywoman Lori Saldaña said.

Saldaña said that in summer 2011 six prominent women in local politics, business and education told her that Filner had physically or verbally harassed them. Saldaña had been exploring what turned out to be an unsuccessful bid for Congress and the conversations came in the context of the 2012 elections.

Saldaña said she contacted former [California] party Chairman Jess Durfee with the allegations and Durfee was among a group of Democratic leaders who met with Filner to discuss them that summer. She said nothing happened.

Continue reading Nancy Pelosi must resign from the House over Bob Filner coverup.

NC Democratic Party chair resigns doesn’t resign… :pause:

I don’t know. IS he done?

Real short version: this all started when Jay Parmley, the former executive director of the NC Democratic party, was allegedly accused of sexually harassing a male staffer. Reportedly, Parmley had sent said staffer pictures of genitals*…

Hold on: let me stop for a moment and make a PSA for politicians.  DON’T DO THAT.

…anyway, Parmley effectively got tossed out on his ear, but there’s still a lot of speculation of just how far a hypothetical coverup of the alleged incident could have spread. This isn’t of academic interest: Lt. Governor Walter Dalton might even be involved, and not coincidentally Dalton happens to be running for Governor this year. He’s doing so because current governor Bev Perdue abruptly decided earlier this year to not seek another term… do people see where this could be going? Anyway, there was a lot of pressure put on NC Democratic chairman David Parker to resign, and yesterday he did so. Cue the relieved-but-still-slightly nervous press releases from the Lt. Governor and Secretary of State Elaine Marshall**, congratulating Parker for doing the right thing, here. Continue reading NC Democratic Party chair resigns doesn’t resign… :pause:

NC Democratic party Executive Director Jay Parmley resigns, blames right-wing bloggers…

…alas, I don’t really get a seat at this table. 

To refresh people’s memories: allegations came out last week that NC Democratic party Executive Director Jay Parmley had sexually harassed a male staffer (the Daily Caller noted yesterday that local reports are saying that said staffer was also allegedly fired after making a complaint; if that’s true, then there’s a bigggggggggg problem going on in North Carolina right now for the Democratic party*).  Anyway, Parmley has decided to leave his job – and is he bitter about it?  Well, perhaps a little:

In his resignation letter, Parmley denied the sexual harassment allegations and blamed TheDC for tying the alleged incident to him.

“As you know last Friday, Tucker Carlson’s right-wing blog Daily Caller and Art Pope’s Civitas Institute began spreading a false and misleading story about a supposed incident of harassment at the NCDP,” Parmley wrote.

Hey, I’m not a lawyer, so I don’t know the answer: does a declarative sentence like that itself violate non-disclosure agreements? Continue reading NC Democratic party Executive Director Jay Parmley resigns, blames right-wing bloggers…

Alcee Hastings’ (D, FL-23) sexual harassment investigation.

You cannot win if you never try.

This is a preliminary investigation by the Office of Congressional Ethics, and it’s done in the wake of a March lawsuit filed by Judicial Watch on behalf of former U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (also known as the Helsinki Commission) staffer Winsome Packer.  The suit alleges sexual harassment, attempted extortion (for Hastings’ re-election campaign), and acts of retaliation against Ms. Packer’s attempts at whistle-blowing.  According to the Judicial Watch suit (via Left Coast Rebel), informing then Commission Staff Director Fred Turner resulted in Turner’s joining with Rep. Hastings in said acts of retaliation; according to the Huffington Post, Sen. Ben Cardin (D, MD) (co-chair of the Helsinki Commission, then and now) and the then-Democratic-controlled House Ethics committee were likewise allegedly informed and did nothing (a Cardin spokeswoman declined to comment).  It should also be noted that Turner is currently the “Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the Co-Chairman at the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe” and one of Sen. Cardin’s key people.

In a better world, I could have some hope that the ultimate conclusion would be in doubt, but here is a hard truth: no matter what the investigation discovers or the lawsuit concludes, Alcee Hastings will probably still be a Congressman afterward.  This is for three interconnected reasons: Continue reading Alcee Hastings’ (D, FL-23) sexual harassment investigation.

#rsrh What, is assaulting maids is a HOBBY…

…for French officials? From this story about a guy abruptly quitting over sexual harassment charges:

A statement by the prime minister said Civil Service Minister Georges Tron had acted “in the general interest”, and noted he denied the allegations.

His resignation comes in the wake of the US arrest of ex-IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn earlier this month.

He is charged with sexually assaulting a chamber maid in a New York hotel.

Continue reading #rsrh What, is assaulting maids is a HOBBY…