Posted on 04/20/2002 8:14:56 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
The city has reached a tentative agreement with former mayoral staffer Marilyn Figueroa that will pay her at least $350,000 to settle her allegations of sexual harassment by Mayor John O. Norquist.
Norquist-Figueroa
Photo/File
Milwaukee Mayor John Norquist, his wife, Susan Mudd, by his side outside their house, admits to a sexual relationship with a former staff member.
Photo/File
Ex-mayoral staffer Marilyn Figueroa.
What's Next
The Common Council is to meet at noon Monday in closed session to be briefed by City Attorney Grant Langley. A hearing in the case before a state administrative law judge that was set to begin May 6 would be avoided. A lawsuit seeking to force the city to release case depositions remains active.
Related Coverage
Editorial: Paying for the mayor's affair
Stingl: Someone has to pay, and it's not the mayor
Spivak & Bice: City, not mayor, will be opening wallet
Section: More on the Norquist-Figueroa case
According to sources familiar with the agreement, the money is to be paid out of the worker's compensation fund, which means it would come from city taxpayers. The sources indicated that Norquist - for now - isn't expected to pay any of it himself.
The claim was filed against the city, not Norquist personally.
News of the settlement came late Friday after a morning of phone calls between attorneys for the two sides, who had met Thursday at a mediation clinic.
An agreement would avoid the spectacle of a public hearing on the tawdry details of the relationship between the two, from sex in the mayor's office to allegations the mayor exposed himself to Figueroa and, on several occasions, physically forced her to have sex.
Norquist, who is married, has acknowledged a sexual relationship, saying it was consensual. He has denied that any harassment or discrimination occurred and, as recently as Thursday, was saying publicly that he would be vindicated.
The hearing was set to begin May 6 before a state administrative law judge. Early this week, portions of the depositions from Norquist and Figueroa were leaked to television station WDJT-TV (Channel 58), providing a preview of the details to come.
The Common Council is to meet at noon Monday in closed session to be briefed on the case by City Attorney Grant Langley.
After a meeting with top aldermen Friday afternoon, Langley refused to say whether there was a deal, telling reporters only that he would brief aldermen Monday.
Of course the whole five year affair was paid for by the taxpayers. Norquist's idea of entertaining his sweetheart was taking her to taxpayer funded conferences and making whoopee in his taxpayer funded office.
I don't think I have to mention to anybody here that John Norquist is a big time DEMOCRAT. He had his eye on the Governorship. It looks like he's getting off scot free on this one, just like his hero, X42. His wife, Susan Mudd, is a former classmate of Hillary's. She even produced a second child for him in the middle of this mess. In a couple of years, he'll be angling for the Governor's mansion in Madison. He has no shame.
...Norquist could have picked up part of that unseemly tab. He was asked by the city attorney's office to pay part of the cost, reportedly $100,000, but his personal attorneys balked. The mayor apparently felt he had paid a big enough price by having to hire a private attorney to defend him against Figueroa's complaint.He's wrong.
...The mayor may want to rewrite history, but he cannot: His political and personal reputation will be forever tainted. But at the very least, he can gain a small measure of redemption by paying the cost himself. Not $100,000, but all of it.
It's not the 'politicians' it's the PC mentality foised on the 'people'.
She should not get more than a 'prostitute' regardless of her dual minority status. It took two to 'tango', one got 'lust satisfied, the other got a 'high paying' job.
There are some 'lousy' women around, believe it or not. Remember the 'prostitute' that 'showcased' Dick Morris on the upper hotel balcony. He paid her well, but that wasn't enough for that Jezeble. And Lewinsky, there's another one. The three, IMO, belong in the Federal Pen on charges of inticement and 'racketering'.
In fact, in a Friday afternoon, closed-door briefing on the settlement by Langley with four Common Council leaders, two of the aldermen - Michael Murphy and Fred Gordon - were disgusted when they found out Norquist wasn't contributing a dime, sources said. Surprisingly, the sources said, council president and mayoral wannabe Marvin Pratt didn't object to Norquist's not having to pay anything.
Now does that really surprise anyone?
According to sources familiar with the agreement, the money is to be paid out of the worker's compensation fund, which means it would come from city taxpayers. The sources indicated that Norquist - for now - isn't expected to pay any of it himself.
Now that dust deserves to be repeated!
Good work if you can get it . . .
Yea, I know, it's not about sex; she's a victim, her reputation sullied, her career irrepairably damaged, emotional distress, etc., etc. . . .
I pray she uses her newfound wealth to leave the state . . .
Yea, I know, it's not about sex; she's a victim, her reputation sullied, her career irrepairably damaged, emotional distress, etc., etc. . . .
I don't think it's necessary to refer to her as a whore. He's the one paying the damages (city funded). Judging by her picture in the paper, she's just totally fine. A dipstick like Norquist would never have knocked boots with her if it hadn't have been for his position. That's stood out ever since Day One...
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