"How Congress plays by different rules on sexual harassment and misconduct"
By Michelle Ye Hee Lee and Elise Viebeck October 27, 2017
"Briony Whitehouse was a 19-year-old intern in 2003 when she boarded an elevator in the Russell Senate Office Building with a Republican senator who, she said, groped her until the doors reopened.
She never reported the incident to her bosses for fear of jeopardizing her career. But she recently tweeted about her experience on Twitter as part of the #MeToo campaign, a social-media phenomenon that has aired thousands of complaints about sexual harassment."
More.
"Under a law in place since 1995, accusers may file lawsuits only if they first agree to go through months of counseling and mediation. A special congressional office is charged with trying to resolve the cases out of court.
When settlements do occur, members do not pay them from their own office funds, a requirement in other federal agencies. Instead, the confidential payments come out of a special U.S. Treasury fund.
Congressional employees have received small settlements, compared with the amounts some public figures pay out. Between 1997 and 2014, the U.S. Treasury has paid $15.2 million in 235 awards and settlements for Capitol Hill workplace violations, according to the congressional Office of Compliance. The statistics do not break down the exact nature of the violations."
We have a sad, sick and misogynistic Congress full of bad men.
See more. Why do victims not report? Because they might not be believed, they could be threatened in several ways by powerful men, they could be shamed into recanting, or they can lose their job!
"Power culture
Capitol Hill has long been known as a demanding workplace for young people, trying to make a mark in an adrenaline-fueled Washington power center. Work duties often require personal interactions with members and high-ranking staffers, and success requires that employees demonstrate personal loyalty, political solidarity and professional rapport with colleagues and superiors.
Making claims of harassment or inappropriate advances come at high risk.
“There is a sense that going forward with an allegation like this would be completely the end of any career working for anybody on the Hill — and it undoubtedly would be,” said Debra Katz, an employment attorney in Washington who represents congressional aides in sexual harassment cases."
"Bannon defends Roy Moore against sexual misconduct allegations, says accusers are ‘trying to destroy a man’s life’"
Noor Al-Sibai 10 Nov 2017
"Breitbart aims to discredit Roy Moore's accusers"
Jonathan Swan, 12 Nov 2017
https://www.axios.com/breitbart-aims-to-discredit-moores-accusers-2508913180.html
"Steve Bannon has sent two of Breitbart News' top reporters, Matt Boyle and Aaron Klein, to Alabama. Their mission: to discredit the Washington Post's reporting on Roy Moore's alleged sexual misconduct with teenagers.
Bottom line: This story is about to get even uglier, if that's imaginable. I expect more counter-attacks will play out in Breitbart News and other outlets over the coming days."
"Although Breitbart published Moore’s denials of these allegations, the outlet’s article in defense of the former judge primarily focuses on justifying the conduct described by the Washington Post. Breitbart’s piece argues there’s nothing wrong with 34-year-old “dating” someone less half their age or younger, as long as it is “romantic.”
"Breitbart defends Moore, says his alleged sexual abuse of teen was OK because he was ‘romantic’"
Steve Bannon goes all in.
Aaron Rupar Twitter Nov 9, 2017
https://thinkprogress.org/breitbart-defends-roy-moore-ed5af22d16d7/
Breitbart undermines Roy's own denials! lol You cannot make this stuff up! lol
"Although Breitbart published Moore’s denials of these allegations, the outlet’s article in defense of the former judge primarily focuses on justifying the conduct described by the Washington Post. Breitbart’s piece argues there’s nothing wrong with 34-year-old “dating” someone less half their age or younger, as long as it is “romantic.”"
"Even Fox News Is Ditching Roy Moore"
By Alexander Nazaryan On 11/11/17
http://www.newsweek.com/sean-hannity-interview-roy-moore-fox-news-708817
I would hope Fox News knows the message is writ large! Fox News is "woke" about sexual abuse in their house fo sho!
"“You ended his candidacy,” declared Geraldo Rivera, citing Moore’s inability to unequivocally say that he had never dated teenage girls when he was in his 20s and 30s, after he’d left the U.S. Army and turned to law. “I would urge Republicans to postpone the special election,” Rivera said."
BUT Hannity supported Roy so . . . . Fox News till a bit tainted on the Roy Moore issue.
"Gregg Jarrett, a Fox News legal analyst, was no more kind. “I found his answers to be unconvincing and implausible, his entire story to be, in a word, unbelievable. Which means he’s lying.” Moore has called the allegations against him “fake news,” suggesting that The Washington Post was motivated by a political agenda.
Jarrett said Moore “should step aside.” A few congressional Republicans have made similar calls, but Moore has vowed to stay in the race. He will have to continue without funding from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which will no longer support his candidacy."
BUT what about Hannity?
"Hannity did attempt such a defense after the interview was over. He repeatedly alluded to the allegations of rape against Duke lacrosse players in 2006; the killing of Trayvon Martin by vigilante George Zimmerman in 2012 and the killing of Michael Brown by a police officer in 2014, which led to days of civil unrest in Ferguson, Missouri. In each of these cases, he said, journalists had rushed to judgement, only to be later disproven by factual revelations or court decisions.
“Nobody in the media thought the president would win,” Hannity reminded. He did not make clear what incorrect electoral projections had to do with Moore’s alleged sexual misconduct."
Sean Hannity: [We shouldn't assume guilt, and for that I agree with Hannity. BUT we should NOT assume the victims are liars either! AND when there are numerous allegations, how can we say Cosby, Weinstein, and many others INCLUDING CONFRESSMEN, are innocent and that the accused, the people HOLDINGTHE POWER POSITIONS, are the victims?]
"SEAN HANNITY (HOST): John McCain has now just called for Roy Moore to withdraw, whether or not the allegations are true.
OK, so now you've got the swamp, you've got the sewer, you've got the establishment -- they hate Roy Moore. Roy Moore, to them, is another Ted Cruz, another Mike Lee, somebody they can't control. Rand Paul, they can't control those guys. The last thing they need is another one of them that actually believes in the promises they make, et cetera.
You know, it is funny too, because Democrats never called on Bill Clinton to step down after he was -- after all the stuff that happened with him. [Bill C. was impeached you Sean! Do your homework!*] Never, not one time. So, there's politics in all of this. Then you have false allegations that are made, and you know -- how do you determine? It's "He said, she" -- what? You're looking at me puzzled. Why are you looking at me with that look? What?
LYNDA MCLAUGHLIN: No, I'm just -- I'm listening to you and I think it's a very, very dark and sad place that we've come to, because allegations are being waged and in the court of public opinion, people are guilty until they're proven innocent, and it's very, very sad. And I think it's very sad for victims because there are real victims out there that want to tell the truth, and maybe they're afraid to do it, and then there are people who use the word "victim" as leverage and a way to get things. And I think it's a really a scary time."
* "The impeachment process of Bill Clinton was initiated by the House of Representatives on December 19, 1998, against Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, on two charges, one of perjury and one of obstruction of justice.[1] These charges stemmed from a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against Clinton by Paula Jones. Clinton was subsequently acquitted of these charges by the Senate on February 12, 1999.[2] Two other impeachment articles – a second perjury charge and a charge of abuse of power – failed in the House."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_of_Bill_Clinton
