Posted on 12/09/2017 8:28:33 AM PST by Liz
Congress is struggling with the wave of sexual harassment allegations engulfing their institution. With no clear roadmap, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other leaders are responding on a case-by-case basis and on the fly.
The stream of public revelations has put leaders in a pressure cooker.....they face pressure to forge quick judgments about the credibility of the allegations and the severity of the misconduct, often while relying on reports from anonymous accusers.
The makeshift method has led to swift calls for resignation for some members and a messy, painful, drawn-out process for others.
Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) will resign this week after his female Senate colleagues called for his ouster. Meanwhile, Pelosi waffled for days about whether the dean of the House, Michigan Democrat John Conyers, should go after multiple female ex-staffers called him out for unwanted advances and groping.
Ryan quickly urged Rep. Trent Franks to resign after the Arizona Republican admitted he asked a pair of female staffers to become surrogate mothers and bear his children. (Franks resigned Friday).
But Ryan has been more muted in dealing with the unique cases of two Texas Republicans: Reps. Blake Farenthold (used $84,000 in taxpayer money to settle a staffers harassment claims) and Joe Barton (sexted a constituent on Facebook and a nude selfie of himself leaked on Twitter).
The uneven response has infuriated some lawmakers, whove demanded more aggressiveness from their leadership. Its sparked accusations from others, particularly members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), that leaders have employed a double standard in their approach to individual cases.
And its prompted near-universal calls for the adoption of a clear set of guidelines on Capitol Hill that would empower victims to report abuse and settle cases, while protecting the accused from false allegations.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
Bimbo Eruption is all Hillary’s dirty work. She is a give star general commander.
No problem, pay their own bills.
FWIW, I’m even more worried about payments that were paid/made by someone other than the taxpayers.
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BACKSTORY Rep. Hastings asks that harassment case be tossed AP/WorldMag ^ | Jul 9, 9:46 PM EDT Posted on 7/10/2011, 1:15:41 AM by quantim
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congressman Alcee Hastings asked a court Saturday to throw out claims that he subjected a former employee to sexual harassment and retaliation when he was co-chairman of an independent U.S. agency.
The Florida Democrat said the case should be handled according to congressionally-approved administrative and judicial remedies - and not the U.S. District Court in Washington, where the plaintiff, Winsome Packer, lodged her complaint.
Packer says Hastings asked several times to stay at her apartment or to get her to visit his hotel room in Vienna, Austria, when she worked as staff representative and he was co-chairman of the Helsinki Commission.
Packer also said Cong Hastings asked her what kind of underwear she was wearing and alleged that much of the harassment occurred when he was in Europe on business for the commission, which advises on U.S. policy about security, human rights and other issues in Europe. (Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
Paul Ryan is the Speaker of the House. He had to have known about the slush fund for years. Why isn’t he being held accountable for being complicit in any of this?
Exclusive: Taxpayers Paid $220K to Settle Fla Democrat Alcee Hastings sex mess / Roll Call / FR Posted by springwater13
The Treasury Dept paid $220,000 in a previously undisclosed agreement to settle a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment that involved Florida Democrat Alcee L. Hastings, according to documents obtained by Roll Call. Winsome Packer, a former staff member of a congressional commission that promotes international human rights, said in documents that the congressman touched her, made unwanted sexual advances, and threatened her job.
At the time, Hastings was the chairman of the Commission on
Security and Cooperation in Europe, where Packer worked. Hastings has called Packers charges ludicrous and in documents said he never sexually harassed her. Until this evening, I had not seen the settlement agreement between the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) and Ms. Packer, the congressman said in a statement Friday night.
This matter was handled solely by the Senate Chief Counsel for Employment. At no time was I consulted, nor did I know until after the fact that such a settlement was made. Hastings said that the lawsuit that Packer filed against him and an investigation by the House Ethics Committee were ultimately dismissed. I am outraged that any taxpayer dollars were needlessly paid to Ms. Packer, he said. (Excerpt) Read more at rollcall.com
I’m pissed off my tax dollars are paying for their dalliances. Bunch of damned perverts.
There outta be a very strict law with very harsh penalties. Our elected leaders should serve as examples, not become low life sexual deviants.
BACKSTORY: Rep. Alcee Hastings Maxes Out Girlfriends Salary for Fifth Straight Year
Hastings also employs girlfriend’s daughter and a convicted money launderer
freebeacon ^ | March 8, 2017 | Joe Schoffstall
FR Posted on 3/9/2017, 8:53:46 AM by MarvinStinson
Rep. Alcee Hastings (D., Fla.) continues to pay his longtime girlfriend the maximum congressional salary of $168,411, and has paid her nearly $2.4 million in salary since 2000.
Hastings also employs his girlfriend’s daughter and the wife of a former staffer who was previously convicted of money laundering.
Patricia Williams, the longtime girlfriend who served as co-counsel during Hastings’ impeachment trial as a federal judge in the 1980s, has worked out of the congressman’s office since 1993. Williams started working for Hastings as a staff assistant and has since been promoted to deputy district director in his Broward County, Florida office.
The gig has proved lucrative for Williams, who has pocketed millions in salary since 2000, the first year that salary figures are publicly available from Legistorm.
Williams collected $21,250 for a partial year of work as a staff assistant in 2000, and was paid $98,000 in 2001. In 2002, her salary shot up to $121,307.
Williams’ salary gradually increased to $125,975 by 2005. She pulled in $623,003 during her time as a staff assistant from 2000 to 2005 .
Williams took over as deputy district director in Hastings’ Broward County office in 2006, a move that coincided with another generous salary bump to $143,314. Williams continued to receive yearly salary increases until her salary peaked at $168,411 in 2012, the maximum that can be paid to a congressional staffer.
Williams was paid $168,411 again in 2016, according to recently released fourth quarter congressional data. This was fifth straight year she was paid the maximum amount.
Williams is the highest-compensated member of Hastings’ staff. She earns more than his D.C. chief of staff, the employee who is typically the highest-paid in a congressional office. Williams has now pulled in nearly $2.4 million in salary since 2000.
Hastings also employs Patricia’s daughter, Maisha, as a staff assistant at his Broward County office. Maisha was given the position in 2011.
Hastings’ history with Patricia Williams dates back to the 1980s, when Williams served as co-counsel during his impeachment trial as a federal judge.
In 1981, Hastings was charged with “conspiracy and obstruction of justice for soliciting a $150,000 bribe in return for reducing the sentences of two mob-connected felons convicted in Hastings’ court.”
William Borders, a D.C.-based lawyer who was indicted alongside Hastings, was convicted in 1982 following an FBI sting. Hastings was acquitted by a criminal court in 1983, although a probe later found that Hastings had tampered with evidence, committed perjury, and conspired to accept bribes. Williams worked as his co-counsel throughout the trial.
What if we bill their political party? In Bernie’s case we bill Cuba or Venezuela.
How about feeling pressure to not tolerate such behavior in the first place?
Our elected leaders should serve as examples, not become low life sexual deviants.”””
Low-life sexual deviants who are embezzling taxpayers money.
More money to build the wall......
Paul Ryan is the Speaker of the House. He had to have known about the slush fund for years. Why isnt he being held accountable for being complicit in any of this?
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right.
1st - ryan is prolly slow playin this because he knows his name is on the list.
2nd - these congress critters just consider this sexual harassment slush fund as another “perk” of office, like franking, or kiting checks on House of Rep Federal Credit Union
3rd - in the real world there are already legal procedures in place to deal with on the job sexual harassment - the civil court system.
just shut this hush money slush fund down & let the victims file charges in civil court & let the congress perps pay their own legal defense & judgements.
Yep. I would demand those accused and the attorneys to return ALL money back to the taxpayers immediately.
One Clinton lies and the other one swears to it.
Shouldn’t it be that taxpayers are reeling from the Congresses sexual harassment deluge? Afterall almost all of these congress critters are leaving with full benefits, I only wish I was reeling so hard.
I can’t agree with kicking someone out based on anonymous allegations. I wouldn’t object to kicking them all out for being frauds.
If I’m not mistaken, those clowns get pretty generous pensions. Any congressman involved in one of those settlements should have those pensions garnished 100% until the full amount has been reimbursed.
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