The Democratic vice presidential nominee’s response to a possible sexual harassment scandal has reignited Vice President Kamala Harris’ long-running harassment hush money controversy.
Administration of Governor Josh Shapiro (Democrat, Pennsylvania) paid Shapiro is set to pay about $300,000 in 2023 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit against one of his aides in an opaque deal that included a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). Shapiro defended himself on Thursday after a settlement involving former Cabinet secretary and longtime aide Mike Vereb resurfaced in rumors he was a running mate.
But the scandal also reignited arguably even more damning allegations against a top Democratic candidate.
“Who covered up sexual harassment allegations in her office? Kamala Harris,” Trump campaign spokesman Stephen Chang Posts Together Los Angeles Times report Since 2019. “Her firm paid $1.1 million in settlement. Birds of a feather flock together.”
Who covered up the sexual harassment allegations in her office? Kamala Harris.
Her firm paid $1.1 million in settlement.
Birds of a feather flock together.https://t.co/phzyiW2GYw https://t.co/UgXHxEXnLz
— Steven Cheung (@TheStevenCheung) August 1, 2024
The California Department of Justice (DOJ) paid Harris more than $1.1 million in settlements, including hundreds of thousands of dollars for sexual harassment allegations, during her time as the state’s top police officer, according to documents filed by the DOJ. Times Quote.
A spokesman for then-Senator Harris said that at the time of this report, Harris had not commented on the case that was settled by the state Department of Justice. Times She brought the matter to her attention, even though she was the state’s top law enforcement officer at the time the seven-figure settlement was paid.
of Times Harris “took responsibility for what happened in my office,” he wrote.
“As the chief executive of a department of nearly 5,000 employees, the responsibility rests with me,” Harris said in a statement. “No one should be harassed or intimidated in the workplace, and victims of sexual misconduct should be heard, believed and protected.”
Harris said that since she was elected to the Senate, she has made it clear to her staff that she will intervene whenever she suspects wrongdoing by staff members.
“In my Senate office, any complaints of harassment come to me immediately,” Harris said Thursday. “No office is immune from misconduct, and there is much more work to be done to ensure everyone is protected.”
During her time as a senator, Harris was an ardent supporter of the #MeToo movement and introduced legislation called the Empower Act that “seeks to reduce barriers that prevent victims of harassment from speaking up by banning non-disclosure and non-disparagement clauses in legal settlements.”
One of California’s financial payments was an issue that hit especially close to home for Harris. Times:
Financial settlements paid by the state during Harris’ tenure include a previously reported $400,000 payment to resolve a 2016 lawsuit. Lawsuits Involving Larry Wallace Wallace, a longtime top adviser to Harris, resigned from his Senate staff in December following the bribery scandal. Danielle Hartley, a senior aide who worked for Wallace, alleged in a lawsuit that Wallace engaged in gender harassment and discrimination.
A spokesman for Senator Harris said in December that she was unaware of the allegations against Wallace.
“Mr. Wallace offered his resignation to the senator and the senator accepted it,” the senator said.
According to the report, Wallace had worked as “one of Harris’s closest aides for 14 years.”
Amid ongoing rumors that Shapiro has emerged as a front-runner to succeed Harris as president, Harris’ campaign scheduled a rally in Shapiro’s home state of Pennsylvania on Tuesday.
Bradley Jay is Capitol Hill correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter. translator.
