Senator Kamala Harris tried to awkwardly monetize the whole Epstein thing. But her close associate was accused of sexual harassment.
And there’s also the Filthy Filner flashback.
In 2013, about 20 women accused Filner, a two-decade Democratic congressman-turned-San Diego mayor, of sexual harassment and misconduct. Some said he put them in “Filner headlocks.”
Harris’ office drew considerable criticism in 2013 for allowing Filner to plead guilty to state charges of false imprisonment and battery against three Jane Does in exchange for a light sentence. Filner could have faced up to five years in prison, but the plea bargain instead gave him three months of house arrest, three years’ probation, and partial loss of his mayoral pension.
A spokesman for Harris’ presidential campaign, Ian Sams, said of the Filner episode: “She prosecuted a politician from her own party for sexual harassment, and he pled guilty to a felony. She was broadly praised for taking action, including by the Republican San Diego County district attorney who said it sent ‘a strong message that nobody is above the law, abuse of women won’t be tolerated and victims will be treated with respect.'”
Sorry, that’s the Acosta defense. Filner got a slap on the wrist.
Filner had impeccable credentials. His father was a Communist and he had been a Freedom Rider and a member of the Progressive Caucus. His ties to the Clintons went back a long way and he had passionately spoken out in defense of President Clinton during the impeachment debate.
He even had all the right left-wing “street” connections from J Street to Occupy Wall Street.
Bob Filner, like Bill Clinton, was also a serial sexual predator. His victims included a 67-year old grandmother and sexual assault victims who had come to him seeking help. He locked his executive assistant in the kitchen and demanded that they “make love.” His favorite move involved putting the women he targeted in a headlock.
Filner pleaded guilty to three counts and will not serve any time in prison. Instead he’ll spend three months at home, receive some counseling and three years on probation. He won’t go into California’s 100,000 strong sex offender database.
Meanwhile in Lakeland, California, a 75-year-old man was sentenced to six months in jail for groping a court reporter. If he had been the progressive mayor of San Diego, he might have also gotten the Filner Justice Special and be spending his time at home with his feet up on the couch.
Kamala Harris has some explaining to do.
Leave a Reply