Posted on 08/21/2018 7:22:33 AM PDT by yesthatjallen
An employee of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) secretly recorded director Melvin Watt making sexual advances toward her, according to NPR News.
Simone Grimes has accused Watt of sexual harassment, retaliation and pay discrimination, claiming he leveraged his ability to advance her career as he discussed his attraction to her.
"I'm guilty of having an attraction to you, that is true," Watt said on the tape obtained by NPR. "So it makes me more conscious not to leave some impression."
Grimes this week filed a lawsuit against FHFA , alleging it violated the Equal Pay Act as she worked two jobs simultaneously for less money than her male coworkers. She also filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in May, NPR reported.
The FHFA oversees mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Grimes told NPR that Watts began coming on to her when she needed his signature for a pay raise in 2015.
"That's kind of when Director Watt began his advances," she told NPR. "So he approached me at a few functions that were at work to say he believed there was an attraction between us that needed to be explored."
Grimes said she was being paid 70 cents per dollar compared to her predecessor.
She said she began recording her conversations with Watt in 2016, and that in November 2016 he insisted she meet him at his house, where she secretly used her cellphone to record a conversation with him.
During the meeting, Watt told her he could advance her career.
"Is it better to go through a charade process to get you the job, or is it better for me to just give you the job, because I don't have to go through a bid process, I don't have to go through an application process," Watt is recorded saying, according to NPR.
"My comment to him is, 'Those sound fine, I believe I'm qualified, but I want to make sure there's no strings attached, you're not expecting anything in return,'" Grimes told NPR.
"I can certainly draw the line, knowing that this end, what I've talked to you about up to this point, has nothing to do with either your beauty or my feelings," he said on the tape, NPR reported.
Grimes told NPR she fears retaliation for her complaints, but intends to move forward with them.
"I have continued to endure this position and try to see it through to the end and be clear with the agency that they are not knocking the wind out of me, I am not losing my stride," Grimes said. "I will continue with this, because I work there, and I know I'm not the only person."
NPR said that FHFA and Watt declined to comment on the recordings. FHFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.
Watt, whose 5-year term ends in January, in June acknowledged the sexual harassment investigation but said he is confident he will be exonerated.
"The selective leaks related to this matter are obviously intended to embarrass or to lead to an unfounded or political conclusion," the former North Carolina lawmaker said in an e-mail to The Hill.
OK, you don’t have to make it any clearer.
Good.
It’s great that Watt was recorded.
And recorded in a location that is probably less secure than the White House Situation Room.
Well, duh. Who knows how old the photo is. Coffee.
Whole article fiction— There were NO scandals during the Black Messiah’s terms of office !!
Lots of people start a position making less than the person before them. That said, clearly the guy is in the wrong. Of course, what moron would actually go to their bosses house to discuss work.
Time to get these agencies distributed to communities where the swamp stink can’t reach them.
He likes’m young. Always did. I believe he served time 20 years ago, more or less.
Watt is married and has two children
He was arguably the most liberal member of North Carolina’s congressional delegation, and one of the most liberal congressmen ever to represent the state.
For most of his tenure, Watt was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Feh. I long ago concluded that Washington, D.C. is just one big, adult uncensored version of Peyton Place. Watt is a scumbag creep, but D.C. has plenty of women who are willing to play the game in exchange for the accrual of money and power.
Gerrymandered district. Can someone post a map of it? It was cut out specifically to get him elected. Amazing.
Weird. The article doesn’t mention party affiliation.
There's a scene in the Coen Brother's movie Burn After Reading in which a CIA guy is briefing his boss on a farcical situation that has developed around a particular Agency guy who has gone off the rails due to problems with his wife, alcoholism, and the fact that he was never that stable to begin with (he is played by John Malkovich).
Anyway, in the scene, the briefing guy makes a side comment to his boss: "It appears that everyone involved is sleeping with each other."
What is he doing in that picture, making sure his fly is zipped?
LOL....good question.
Maybe holding it down.....could be he was attracted to Obama. ROTFLOL.
LOL....good question.
Maybe holding it down.....could be he was attracted to Obama. ROTFLOL.
I gotta write that down.......I keep forgetting (smirk).
Another scandal free obama administration incident.
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