Portrait of a Hypocrite: An Outspoken Supporter of the #MeToo Movement failed to Protect her female aid from her male Chief of Staff

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“For too long, the culture in Washington has accepted entirely unacceptable behavior,” . “That needs to change — period.” (Novemeber 2017) Elizabeth Esty

 

“You better fucking  reply to me or I will fucking kill you,” Tony Baker (Esty Chief of Staff) said in the May 5, 2016, recording left for Anna Kain, a former Esty aide Baker had once dated.

According to e-mail optained by the Washington Post, the Congresswomen found out about the episode within a week.  She also spoke to Kain on May 11, emails show; Kain said she provided detailed allegations that Baker had punched, berated and sexually harassed her in Esty’s Capitol Hill office throughout 2014, while she worked as Esty’s senior adviser.

Kain and Baker met in Esty’s office following her 2012 election. They dated casually in 2013 before being promoted to senior adviser and chief of staff, respectively, in early 2014.

Baker did not leave for three months. By his last day on Aug. 12, according to documents Esty provided to The Post, he and Esty had co-written a positive recommendation letter he could use in a job search and signed a legal document preventing her from disparaging him or discussing why he left. Baker went on to work for Sandy Hook Promise, the gun-control group created after the 2012 shooting in Esty’s district. He was dismissed from the group this week after The Post contacted him.

Tony Baker received five thousand dollars in severance pay.

According to Kain’s petition for a restraining order, Baker punched her in the back and “repeatedly screamed” at her in Esty’s office while threatening to retaliate professionally if she reported his behavior. She did not tell Esty or the House Ethics Committee out of fear for her safety, her petition stated.

Kain told The Post that she was so anxious about imperiling her boss’s chance of reelection that she removed her cellphone from the House’s WiFi network so that she could privately look up how to report misconduct to the Ethics Committee.

“I was 24 and doing a job that I believed in for an institution I was proud to be a part of,” Kain said Thursday in an interview. “But I was being severely abused and had nowhere to turn. Nobody talked about things like this. I was suffering and thought it was weakness.”

On May 5, 2016, Baker called Kain approximately 50 times and said he would “find her” and “kill her,” she alleged in the petition.

Ricci disputed that Baker punched Kain but did not challenge her other allegations. He said that Baker was too intoxicated at the time to remember leaving the message and that he offered to resign after Esty learned what had happened. The congresswoman said Baker never offered his resignation.

Baker was barred from working out of Esty’s Capitol Hill office starting on July 24, 2016, according to the separation agreement, which required Esty to serve as a reference in his job search outside of Washington. A draft letter of recommendation from Esty that was attached to the agreement praised his “considerable skills.”

Baker accompanied the congresswoman to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia from July 25 to 28 before sending a departing email to colleagues on Aug. 12.

A spokeswoman for Sandy Hook Promise declined to comment on Baker’s departure this week.

In retrospect, Esty said she dealt with the situation poorly. She said she plans to reimburse the U.S. Treasury for what she described as the roughly $5,000 Baker received in severance. She also plans to improve how she runs her office.

“What I did was not good enough and it didn’t protect [my staff] enough,” Esty said Monday in an interview at her home in Cheshire, Conn. “ . . . I’m hopeful now with this conversation and this coming out that I’ll be able to be much more direct and help other people in Congress understand the risks they are placing their staff at when they don’t think they are.”

Esty said she plans to advocate for greater accountability in how congressional offices are managed.

 

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Sex under the Capitol Dome: State Senator Tony Mendoza resigns

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The Me Too\We Said Enough movement is rocking the Golden Dome of California’s State Capitol. Last October a letter circulated by lobbyists, female lawmakers and legislative staff members and some political consultants cited a pervasive culture of harassment in the capitol.  Sexual harassment is common and sexual assaults have taken place in the Capitol.

While some staffers have come forward, many are still afraid to name to harassers as others experienced retaliation after filing formal complaints with the Legislature. 

Unlike state employees and your employer, legislative workers have no civil service protection.

Bills to provide them with whistle blower protection against retaliation has died in the Legislature four years in a row.

Under a new process instituted this year, the Assembly Rules Committee refers complaints deemed valid to an independent law firm — legislators say they believe that will speed the process of assisting victims.

Ten allegations of sexual harassment are pending before the Assembly, according to Speaker Anthony Rendon’s office.

A wave in the dome is in motion and slowly building strength.

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In November, Los Angeles Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra resigned after six women came forward with stories of aggressive attacks by Bocanegra dating back nearly 10 years.  In 2009, Bocanegra  had been disciplined by the Legislature following allegations that he had groped a fellow legislative staffer. In 2010, he forcibly kissed and groped a woman at the MIX Nightclub in Sacramento. http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-bocanegra-accusation-harassment-20171120-story.html

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A week later, Assemblyman Matt Dababneh representing Woodland Hills resigned. After Sacramento lobbyist Pamela Lopez came forward.   Lopez claimed in 2016, Democratic Assemblyman Matt Dababneh followed her into a bathroom in Las Vegas, masturbated in front of her and urged her to touch him.

Another woman, Jessica Yas Barker, alleged that Dababneh routinely spoke of his sexual exploits and made disparaging comments about women while she worked as his subordinate office from June 2009 until December 2010.  Dababneh said, both allegations are false.

In an interview Dababneh said,”My stepping down isn’t out of guilt or out of fear. It’s out of an idea that I think it’s time for me to move on to new opportunities”

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Allegations are growing for Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia from Bell Gardens.  Garcia is one of the faces of the #MeToo movement in government.  Garcia, who is currently on a voluntary unpaid leave of absence as the Assembly investigate the charges.

In 2014, Daniel Fierro told POLITICO as a 25-year-old staffer to Assemblyman Ian Calderon, he was groped by Garcia. He said she cornered him alone after the annual Assembly softball game in Sacramento as he attempted to clean up the dugout. Fierro, who said Garcia appeared inebriated, said she began stroking his back, then squeezed his buttocks and attempted to touch his crotch before he extricated himself and quickly left.

Fierro is not the only one claiming improper advances by Garcia. A prominent Sacramento lobbyist says she also accosted him in May 2017, when she cornered him, made a graphic sexual proposal, and tried to grab his crotch at a political fundraiser. He spoke to POLITICO on the condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals.

The lobbyist, who represents a major industry association, said that Garcia appeared to have been drinking heavily at a fundraiser hosted by Governor Jerry Brown for state Senator Josh Newman at the de Veres bar in Sacramento. He said he was heading out the door in part to avoid the assemblywoman — who had been increasingly “flirtatious” and had called him on a few occasions before for late night drinks which he repeatedly declined.  She spotted him and said,“Where are you going?” the lobbyist said.

“She came back and was whispering real close and I could smell the booze and see she was pretty far gone,’’ he said. “She looked at me for a second and said, “I’ve set a goal for myself to fuck you.”

At that point, Garcia “stepped in front of me and reaches out and is grabbing for my crotch,’’ he said. That was “the line in the sand,” according to the lobbyist, and he stopped her. “I was four inches from her, eyeball to eyeball — and I said, ‘That ain’t gonna happen.’”

But his account of the groping incident was corroborated by another high profile political operative in Sacramento, who declined to be named for publication. She said at the time the lobbyist was both angered and “humiliated” by the encounter, and disturbed that his sexual rejection of Garcia could have implications for his industry.

Both she — and the lobbyist — believe it may already have.

The Cristina Garcia sexual-harassment scandal expanded when J. David Kernick then a field representative to Garcia,  engaged in a night of heavy drinking and urged about a half-dozen staffers to play spin the bottle, the game in which players end up kissing.

Garcia “was seemingly not critical of [Kernick’s] work until after he questioned the appropriateness of her suggestion that after a fundraiser at a whiskey bar that [he] sit on the floor of her hotel room and play spin the bottle,”

In  his complaint to the State Fair Housing and Employment. Kernick said that after “protesting this sexual harassment,” he was written up for insubordination and fired. Kernick said the write-up prevented him from finding another job in politics.

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Yesterday, Democratic State Senator Tony Mendoza representing Los Angeles resigned hours before a possible vote to expel him .

Senator Mendoza’s has denied the accusations made by six women and said the investigation was unfair, illegal and racially motivated.  He say’s he intends to sue.

The Attorneys conducting the investigation concluded that Senator Mendoza “more likely than not” engaged in behavior such as offering a 19-year-old intern alcohol in a hotel suite at a Democratic event, suggesting a young woman in a Senate fellowship take a vacation with him and rent a room in his house, and asking several women about their romantic lives.

The investigation found that Mendoza likely engaged in unwanted “flirtatious or sexually suggestive” behavior with six women, including four subordinates, a lobbyist and a young woman in a fellowship with another lawmaker.

He is the third California lawmaker to resign over sexual misconduct allegations since the #MeToo movement erupted nationally last fall, leading millions of women to share their experiences on social media.

The events surrounding the 46 year old married Senator sounds more like “Dynasty” than the Real Housewives.   

Three of Mendoza’s aids were fired after meeting with  the Senate Rules Committee staff and detailed allegations that Mendoza engaged in a pattern of inappropriate behavior with his district director Ava Perez.
Multiple sources told The Sacramento Bee that Mendoza,  invited the young woman back to his place to review resumes, including hers, on the night of a party at the Mix Nightclub Downtown. The woman, Ana Perez worked as a fellow in his office through a prestigious Sacramento State program that places graduates in legislative offices for 11 months
At least two of his aides complained about the way Mendoza’s district director, Perez treated them. One questioned why she was even working for the Senate given her felony record for lying to a grand jury to cover up campaign finance fraud in Commerce, sources said.
Mendoza has repeatedly denied firing the aids for complaining.  As for Perez and her criminal background, he believes in second chances.  As for the outstead aids, they are silenced by confidentially agreements.  Its not uncommon for aids to sign such agreements.

I’m leaving, but not QUIETLY!

In a Richard Nixon-esk exit.   Mendoza went after the leader of the Senate and former roomate  Kevin de Leon in his resignation letter.

“Its clean that de Leon will not rest until he has my head on a platter to convince the MeeToo movement of his sincerity in supporting the cause.

He wrote, that he wasn’t able to see the evidence against him and was ordered to remain silent about the allegations. He said he couldn’t get a fair hearing with so many of his fellow Democrats running for higher office and thinking about their own political futures.   He called the Senate’s process farcical and  “more likely than not” was a low standard of proof that didn’t merit a penalty as high as expulsion.
He said, he might run for his seat in the fall

 

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Hear the stories, plan your defense,see the letter Click on the link below

 https://www.wesaidenough.com/home

 

 CityFella

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Horrible Just Plain Horrible

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The Gentleman from Minnesota who apologized to his victims, said he was embarrassed by his actions.  The senator who has publicly said he would fully co-operate with the investigation.  Al Franken is one of the first men attwho’ve been accused was not investigated, the majority of his peers believed he should resign.

The Gentleman from Minnesota was the Democrats sacrificial Lamb.  As of last week, the Republican can no longer say, what about Al Franken.

Everyone’s attacking Roy Moore ,what about  Al Franken?

 

Al Franken

A few weeks ago Leeann Tweeden said Franken forcibly kissed her and groped her in 2006.  There was a picture of Franklin pretending to grope her breast while she was asleep . Franken apologized to Tweeden.  Tweeden accepted his apology.

PHOTO: Leeann Tweeden posted this photo online that she says was taken while she was asleep on a flight back from a 2006 USO trip. She says it shows then-comedian Al Franken, who is now a U.S. Senator, groping her.

“I don’t know what was in my head when I took that picture, and it doesn’t matter,” he said. “There’s no excuse. I look at it now and I feel disgusted with myself. It isn’t funny. It’s completely inappropriate. It’s obvious how Leeann would feel violated by that picture. And, what’s more, I can see how millions of other women would feel violated by it — women who have had similar experiences in their own lives, women who fear having those experiences, women who look up to me, women who have counted on me.”

Sen. Al Franken Says He’ll Cooperate With Investigation Into Allegations He Groped Four Women

Since then six other women came forward Lindsay Menz, accused Franken, of touching her butt as her husband was taking a picture of her at the 2010 Minnesota State Fair.

Franken released a statement after reports multiple women recalled similar incidents as Menz, saying, “I’ve met tens of thousands of people and taken thousands of photographs, often in crowded and chaotic situations. I’m a warm person; I hug people. I’ve learned from recent stories that in some of those encounters, I crossed a line for some women — and I know that any number is too many.”

“Some women have found my greetings or embraces for a hug or photo inappropriate, and I respect their feelings about that,” Franken continued. “I’ve thought a lot in recent days about how that could happen, and recognize that I need to be much more careful and sensitive in these situations. I feel terribly that I’ve made some women feel badly and for that I am so sorry, and I want to make sure that never happens again.”

Stephanie Kemplin, said Franken groped her breast while posing for a photo when she was deployed in Kuwait in 2003 and Franken was there as part of a USO tour.

Tina Dupuy, said Franken in a photo op during President Obama’s Inauguration,  put his hand on her waist, grabbing a handful on flesh.

One anonymous accuser said Franken cupped her butt in 2008.  Another anonymous accuser said Franken gave her a wet open mouth kiss in 2006.  A third anonymous accuser, told Politico she ducked to avoid Franken kissing her as she tried to leave a radio station.  She said as she left the room he allegedly said “It’s my right as an entertainer,” 

In a statement on Facebook, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand wrote: “While Senator Franken is entitled to have the Ethics Committee conclude its review, I believe it would be better for our country if he sent a clear message that any kind of mistreatment of women in our society isn’t acceptable by stepping aside to let someone else serve.”

Ray Moore

 

Teresa Moore, former deputy district attorney told CNN.   “It was common knowledge that Roy dated high school girls, everyone we knew thought it was weird,” We wondered why someone his age would hang out at high school football games and the mall … but you really wouldn’t say anything to someone like that.

On 13 November 2017, The New Yorker  reported ,based on interviews with multiple local sources, that Alabama Senate candidate and twice-removed state Supreme Court judge Roy Moore had been banned from the mall in Gadsden, Alabama because of his predatory behavior toward young girls.

The report, however, is based on sources recalling a rumor, in some cases. Those rumors have been corroborated by news reports of accusations leveled at Moore by at least nine women who were in their teens and twenties at the time.

Becky Gray ,told ABC News  said he was banned from the mall where she worked after she complained about his repeated, unwanted advances toward her. “I went to my manager and talked to him about it and asked him, basically, what could be done,”“Later on, he…came back through my department and told me that [Moore] had been banned from the mall.”

When Sean Hannity  asked if it would be “normal” for a man in his 30s to date a young woman who was 17 or 18. Mr Moore replied it was “not normal”. Then Mr Hannity asked if Mr Moore had dated teenage girls as an older man. “I don’t remember ever dating any girl without the permission of her mother.”

Roy Moore has continued to deny or acknoledge any of the women. He has never refuted  the mall ban or statements made by former colleagues.

Roy Moore recently told a  reporter the women who have accused him of sexual miscounduct were engaged in “ritual defamation” against him.

“I do not know them. I had no encounter with them. I have never molested anyone,” Moore said in an interview filmed at the Alabama Republican Party’s headquarters in suburban Birmingham. “When I saw the pictures on the advertisements of my opponent, I did not recognize any of these people.”

I’ve stood up for moral values, so they’re attacking me in that way,” he said. “When this race is over, on the 12th of December, it will be over.”

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The Operating Hours of the Boys Club may change without notice

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If your over 50 and currently employed your nights are a bit restless.   The world you knew changed a few months ago.   Women are coming forward with memories that spanned decades.  Their memories are clear and often detailed.   So you wake up in a small panic, was I inappropriate?  EVER?

The face of 66 year old Minnesota Senator Al Franken best represents a lot of baby boomers.   Did I?  Are there others?  How do you defend a brush or a touch (not grab) that took place 30 years ago ?

As a manager, I can clearly remember two female employees telling me they did not  want to be touched or hugged. I respected their wishes and there was no retaliation. Women rarely came forward in my years in management.  Are there women out there who feel that I was inappropriate in the 90’s or 2000? and what it the appropriate response?

There were members of the Boys Club who abused their power.  Everyone knew who they were and while you may not have been comfortable as they boasted about conquests you remained silent .

Throughout the years if a female staffer had a complaint you took it seriously.  But that was before the fall of 2017.

The question for many is why now?   If there was a problem in 2010 why wasn’t addressed in 2010. 

 

1991

It was sometime after the Anita Hill, Clarence Thomas hearings.  I was given a directive.  I was to personally spend the next few days speaking directly to employees about the company’s new sexual harassment policy.   There were no real directions, just a box of brochures and business cards.  This was the nineties, there were no smartphones or laptops.

My words brought confusion and concern.   Uttering those words “Sexual Harassment” resulted in many red faces. What do you mean sexual?    Is this from the union ?   No.  Should we contact the union?  You can if you like.   “If you ever feel uncomfortable for any reason by anyone you can call the number on the card 24 hours a day.

No one was quite sure what to do, one thing was clear, the company was serious.    Locations had five days to respond to any complaint and to forward all complaints to headquarters.  Failure to follow the new mandate would result in disciplinary action.

Before the mandate, there really wasn’t an official response to an individual who said he or she was being sexually harassed.  Quite often she was told someone would keep an eye out for her.   Yes, there were outdated guidelines from human resources  but the truth was no one was was equipped to respond to questions of sexual harassment.   It was my experience the victim wasn’t taken seriously.

2000 something

It has been a Boys club since the beginning of time.  The club had long resisted female members.   Once  you  became a member you quickly learned when to speak in the meeting and when to simply go along.

While you have never been inappropriate with a female, you know managers and professional who were.  In fact all the managers knew who the perpetrators were as many boasted about their actions.   As a member you may have participated in the banter as your male colleges have made comments about women who work for the company, you have laughed in the presence of female managers who seemed okay with the shenanigans, boys being boys.

A common question is why didn’t women speak up.  Why now?  

I was a black man wanting to move up.  I don’t speak for all black men or women.   When you a minority or a women the dance is very delicate as you move up the ladder.  Most clubs are filled with white men, with an occasional minority or woman. If your objective is an office upstairs, you played the game. You smiled when the boss or the majority of the room is being inappropriate.  Objecting could result in a delay in your ascension or halt it all together.

At a business dinner to honor our clients.    My boss loudly announced they were serving watermelon and which should make me happy!   Many of my colleagues  and clients were embarrassed.   Inside I was hurt and embarrassed, outside I was professional,”oh that guy”

I could have complained , could have sued the company, there were more than one hundred witnesses.   But it would have ended my career.   From that moment on, I would have been branded.   Nice guy, but!    Didn’t he sue? Didn’t he file a complaint?  I’ve been in those meetings,so I knew what the consequences were.

Women know this all too well.  They are outnumbered in the Boys clubs. So when one of the boys comments on the tits on the new girl in the mail room, they may smile uncomfortably or  look away.

Fall 2017

The abuse of power in the Boys Club is well known. Abuse comes in many forms, it is fueled by power.    From the fast food manager asking for  sexual favors in exchange for hours.   To department heads who s access to slush funds to pay for and elected members of our government who have made it very difficult for someone to complain.

The abuse by some of the members of the Boys Club was tolerated  if the member was generating income for the organization.   Beginning with the 100+millions in payouts from the Fox News Corporation followed by the  Weinstein scandal the stakeholders /shareholders declared there weren’t  any sacred cows.  NBC’s  Matt Lauer was being fired today.

Some members of the Boys Club are in shock.  The abuse of power is  so deeply ingrained in the culture.   After Donald Trump infamous Access America tape was released. some of his supporters dismissed it as being simply locker room talk.  His son, Eric, said it’s just what happens when men hang out together.  Its simply, Boys being Boys.

There are many men who believe while these actions against women were wrong.  They view the punishment to severe.

The Mee too movement is a beginning, however real change will not take place until the Boys Clubs becomes the Boys and Girls Club.  The institution has to change.

  There needs to be more than just one or two women setting policy.  One or two women in a sea of men.  This change needs to take place today.  The irons are hot!

CityFella

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Weinstein Wind Est October 5, 2017: Hollywood Shaken

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October 5, the New York Times Published a blistering report detailing nearly 30 years of reports by women accusing the Oscar-winning movie producer of sexual harassment. They reveal he has paid out at least eight settlements.  

Sexual harassment has long been a part of the culture in Hollywood.  Some members in the industry exploiting individuals who relocated to work in Hollywood.

What makes the Weinstein Wind unique, is the dismissal of studio heads.  Harvey Weinstein  was fired from the company that bears his name.  High profile individuals are being terminated.  This are just some of the names from Oct 5th and Nov 1,2017

October 6th,  Defy Media announced that it was suspending Screen Junkies creator Andy Signore following allegations of sexual harassment from at least five women . He was fired on October 8th. 

On October 12th ,Producer Isa Hackett accused Amazon Studios Chief Roy Price of harassing her in a cab during San Diego Comic-Con in 2015. Hackett says Price propositioned her and told her, “You will love my dick.   Price resigned October 17th.

October 12th was a busy day.   Former Vox employee Eden Rohatensky, wrote a blog which alleged misconduct by several employers and co-workers, including “one of the company’s VPs,” whom she said touched her and kissed her neck while she rode in a car full of co-workers after a company party Vox Media editorial director Lockhart Steele was terminated October 19th 

Animator and creator of the Nickelodeon Chris Savino was fired on the 19th after Several women alleged Savino had sexually harassed them Offered work in exchange for sexual favors and sending lewd text messages.

On October 21, the New Orleans TImes-Picayune published a story on celebrity chef John Besh .  25 women accused Besh of fostering a culture of sexual harassment at his restaurants. On October 25th Besh stepped down from his restaurant group.

On October 22, The LA Times reported,  38 women—31 of whom have gone on the record accusing Oscar-nominated director and screenwriter James Toback of harassment and assault   Days later, the number of accusers climbed into the hundreds

 

CNN published a story October 26.  Five women accused NBC’s TV journalist Mark Halperin of sexually harassing them when he was at ABC NEWS. NBC cut ties with him on the same day.

Rick Najera a writer and producer who spent 13 years heading up CBS’s network’s annual Diversity Sketch Comedy showcase. In 2009 and 2004 Najera made inappropriate comments and while the network became aware of the comments in March of this year.  CBS officially severed ties with Najera on the 26th. 

In 2001, stage and screen actor Anthony Rapp told The Advocate of an incident that took place when he was 14.  When a well know actor picked him up and took him to his bed and climbed on top of  him.  In 2001 he did not identify the actor.  On October 29th, Anthony Rapp  told Buzzfeed the actor who attempted to assault him was Kevin Spacey.   He came forward because of  the people who have come forward with their own stories of sexual harassment. Spacey said ,he didn’t recall the incident and apologized  and announced he was gay.  Within Hours, Netflix cancelled his series “House of Cards” The show was already due to end after this season, but production is now suspended “until further notice”.Spacey has also been dropped as the recipient of a special Emmy award he was due to receive next month.The International TV Academy said in a statement that it was withdrawing the International Emmy Founders Award “in light of recent events”.

More Spacey Controversy

The BBC News has uncovered more allegations of sexual misconduct.

US filmmaker Tony Montana claims he was gropeFilm director Montana told Radar Online that he was in his thirties when the incident took place at the Coronet Bar in LA. by the actor in a Los Angeles bar in 2003.  Montana says he was left with PTSD for six months after he claims Spacey “forcefully” grabbed his crotch.

Mexican actor Roberto Cavazos, who acted in several plays at the theater, claims Spacey “routinely preyed” on young male actors. “It seems the only requirement was to be a male under the age of 30 for Mr Spacey to feel free to touch us,” he wrote in a Facebook post.  He said he fended off two “unpleasant” advances from Spacey that “bordered on harassment,” but that others were afraid to do so. “There are a lot of us who have a ‘Kevin Spacey story’,” says Cavazos.

October 31, Michael Oreskes  The head of National Public Radio’s news department was placed on leave Tuesday after he was accused of sexual harassment by two women who claimed he made unwanted advances toward them while he worked at the New York Times nearly 20 years ago.

November 1, Six women, including actress Olivia Munn, accused director and producer Brett Ratner of sexual harassment or misconduct in a wide-ranging Los Angeles Times report. TV and film actress Natasha Henstridge told the Times that when she was 19 years old, Ratner forced her to perform oral sex on him after a party. “He physically forced himself on me,” she recalled. “At some point, I gave in and he did his thing.” Munn separately recounted Ratner masturbating in front of her in a film-set trailer and later sexually harassing her with verbal come-ons. “It feels as if I keep going up against the same bully at school who just won’t quit,” Munn told the Times. “You just hope that enough people believe the truth and for enough time to pass so that you can’t be connected to him anymore.” Four other women recalled incidents in which Ratner made aggressive sexual overtures, including propositioning for sex in a bathroom or his trailer. Ratner, through a lawyer, denied all of the claims.

Kevin Johnson,What about your friends?

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Every now and then I get a little crazy
That’s not the way it’s supposed to be
Sometimes my vision is a little hazy
I can’t tell who I should trust or just who I let trust me 

People try to say I act a little funny
But that’s just a figure of speech to me
They tell me I changed because I got money
But if you were there before then you’re still down with me

[Chorus:]
What about your friends
Will they stand their ground
Will they let you down again
What about your friends are they gonna be low down
Will they ever be around or will they turn their backs on you

“What about your Friend’s?” Written by written by Austin, Dallas / Lopes, Lisa Nicole.

2016 may be a challenging one for Mayor Kevin Johnson.  An old sexual allegation has resurfaced, an allegation that goes back 20 years

Organizations outside of Sacramento are calling for the Sacramento Mayor to resign.  There are indications this may be just the beginning.

The mayor has a little more than a year left and has said he is not running for a third term.

The mayor was well liked in Sacramento’s business community.  The Bee seemed to be a friend to the mayor.   The mayor’s ascension is somewhat remarkable. At a  meeting in the Bay Area last spring,more people knew the name of Sacramento’s Mayor than San Francisco.

If you  Wiki his name, most of his skeletons ,allegations are front and center. With all this information readily available, the majority of voters in Sacramento elected him ,not once but twice.

Kevin Johnson has never been convicted of sexual crime.

Earlier this year an  sexual harassment allegation by a city staffer came and went.

That was followed by stories of his involvement with the National Conference of Black Mayors and then the video release of the 20 year old Phoenix Police Department interview with a teenage Phoenix girl accusing him of molestation. Which lead to  ESPN’s shelving of a movie chronicling his involvement retaining the Sacramento Kings .

From that moment  on the mayor has been in freefall.

Kevin Johnson was an excellent power forward, but he is not a street fighter.  He’s not quick on his feet and is not comfortable in press conferences.  He has a staff that runs the line of defense for him.

 The Bee has been critical of the mayor of late.  The drum beat is growing louder.  Other groups and the Sac Bee may call for the mayor to step down.

After watching the disturbing detailed video of teenage in Phoenix  Some believe Johnson should have been convicted.  However this case 20 years old.

Throughout his tern, K J has had large groups of supporters. From local projects to the Sacramento Kings.

These new attacks leads us to ask, where are his friends? where are his allies.

  CityFella

Steve Hansen removes the Cone of Silence from Sacramento City Hall

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One can hear a pin drop at City Hall. The Silence hasn’t gone unnoticed by the local press.  It began in May, after a city employee filed a claim against Mayor Kevin Johnson, accusing him of sexual harassment.

Click Link for Story

https://sacratomatovillepost.com/2015/05/15/yikes-city-employee-accuses-mayor-kj-of-sexual-harrassment/

 A few days ago Vice Mayor Allen Warren was accused of sexual harassment by a former city aid

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https://sacratomatovillepost.com/2015/08/04/sex-in-sacramentos-city-hall-vice-mayor-allen-warren-accused-of-sexual-misconduct/

One day after Allen Warren’s complaint, Elsie Fong a (former supervisor with the Department of Utilities) was accused of sexually harassing a female subordinate.

An former employee said ,Mayor Pro Tem Angelique Ashby
denied an employee medical and family leave benefits.and is suing the city.

District 4 City Councilman Steve Hansen   says the city isn’t doing enough to prevent sexual harassment after three cases of allegations.  He wants the city auditor to evaluate the city’s policy over the next 30 days.

At last night council meeting, the mayor and some of the other council members would have preferred Hansen meet with the council before talking to the media.

The allegations began May, if this was another public entity, such as school board,  there would be demands for an independent inquiry.

The resent events are unprecedented, never in the history of the City of Sacramento has three members of the city(The Mayor, the Vice Mayor and Mayor Por Tem)  accused of harassment (within months of each other)

Delia Chacon complained to the city about Allen Warren and Estrellita Ilee Muller filed her claim with the city clerks office and it was the council who voted 7.0 in a closed door session to reject Muller’s claim against the city.

 What are the consequences for city employees and elected officials?

Hansen says, the city’s policy is outdated. A paragraph on the city’s human resources website has a link to read more, but the link doesn’t seem to work.

“Our policy doesn’t say we have no tolerance for this behavior, it doesn’t explicitly say that it’s illegal which it is,” . “San Jose’s policy is 11 pages long, but it also deals with if an elected official does something that is inappropriate how to report it.”

Outside  of City Hall, The League of Women Voters, Sacramento Democratic Party and the Eye on Sacramento are calling for a creation of an independent city ethics commission.  Many cities have formed ethics commissions.

The mayor and some members of the council are miffed by Hansen’s actions.  How dare he talk to the media!  The mayor says he supports ethics reform.  Angelique Ashby and Allen Warren are on the city’s good governance committee.

At last night meeting, it seemed to be more about protocol than repairing the system.  District 8 Councilman Larry Carr said he had a problem with asking the city manager to implement a policy before the council sees it.  Image and Conflict of Interest is lost on  District 7’s Councilmen Rick Jennings who believes Ashby and Allen(who are accused of harassment) should not be asked to step down from the good governance committee.

It is clear, the current system is broken and breeds corruption.  The sentiment last night seemed to be, forget public perception, protect our colleagues. The only solution is an independent body.

Secrets and the Cone of Silence

There are eight council members, two of the eight have been accused of harassment. Citizens are talking,wondering what’s going on?     Missing is the outrage and embarrassment for city!  No one has come forward not a single council member has said,we need to look into this.    Transparency is simply 12 letter word.  Steve Hansen, a party of one has lifted the cone of silence off Sacramento’s City Hall.    At last nights meeting he said  “We can’t just let things get swept under the rug”    

CityFella