Sen. John Kennedy on Thursday told Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su to crack down on the “creepy old man” at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) following the release of damning findings from a sexual misconduct investigation earlier this week. I urged him to do so.
During a Senate hearing on the Department of Labor’s fiscal year 2025 budget, Su urged FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg to resign or investigate more than 500 complaints of workplace bullying, racial discrimination and sexual harassment. refused the request.
Suh has not yet been confirmed by the Senate to join President Biden’s cabinet, but he admitted he hasn’t even heard about it. independent report Cleary Gottlieb, a New York law firm, spoke about the misconduct.
“The people who wrote the report, Madam Acting Secretary – I’m surprised you haven’t followed through on the report – asked agency employees to call and file a complaint,” Kennedy said. (Republican, Louisiana) told Mr. Sue in a proud tone.
“We have 6,000 employees, and 500 of them – almost one in 10 – calls us with a complaint,” he stressed.
“Many of them were sexual complaints and sexism complaints. One young woman said, “My boss keeps sending me text messages with pictures of his penis,” Kennedy deadpans. Ta. “Is that a violation of labor law?”
“I mean, it’s terrible,” Hsu responded, adding that whether the act violated labor law was a “technical question.”
Kennedy, 72, went on to talk about horrific instances of sexual harassment and racism, including when a Hispanic employee was forced by his boss to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to prove he was an American. .
“One young woman said, ‘My boss sent me a text message, and I quote, ‘Get naked, well,'” the senator said of another allegation, saying that she and Mr. It surprised the audience.
“I certainly think the behavior in the workplace is unacceptable,” Sue said, adding that the harassment was “disgusting.”
He suggested that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) handles complaints of workplace sexual harassment, but said the duty to protect workers may fall under the purview of the Department of Labor.
“You can file a complaint. You are the Secretary of Labor. And I know from your actions that you believe in protecting your employees,” Kennedy responded.
“This is the worst thing I’ve ever seen,” he added. “I thought you had already decided that this was not a country for creepy old people.”
Gruenberg called the report “solemn” in a statement after its release, but acknowledged that he “bears ultimate responsibility” for the misconduct that occurred during his nearly 20 years in office. He vowed to implement the recommendations.
Since then, Republicans such as House Financial Services Committee Chairman Patrick McHenry (North Carolina) have called for his resignation, while Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (Ohio) and others have called for his resignation. Democrats called on him to “accept responsibility and immediately commit to fundamental reform of financial institutions” for its culture. ”
Hsu promised to “make sure the EEOC is aware” of the complaints.
“Many supervisors and some members of senior leadership at the FDIC are pigs. They are sexual predators. They are bigots,” Kennedy confronted Sue.
“This issue has been going on for at least six months since the Wall Street Journal reported this story, and so far the Department of Labor has said nothing, zero, zilch, nada.”
