From Hollywood to Capitol Hill, the allegations of sexual harassment against prominent figures in their industries seem to be piling up.
And one policymaker wants to change how claims of harassment are handled in the nation's capital.
“I would like to know how much money was spent [to settle claims of] sexual harassment,” Representative Gregory Meeks tells Cheddar, adding that there’s a lot to be done in terms of changing the prevailing system.
Current policy for harassment claims in Washington doesn’t require that the amount of settlements are disclosed. Meeks says that not only do taxpayers deserve to know when their money is being used as a settlement, but that there needs to be a space that encourages victims to come forward.
The New York Democrat is calling for a “zero tolerance” policy.
Meeks’ statements come after Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) resigned from his position as a ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee amid a wave of accusations. The eighty-eight year old reportedly reached a $27,000 taxpayer-funded settlement in 2015 with a staffer who reportedly refused his advances. While Conyers has denied any wrongdoing, he said he’s decided to step aside to allow the House Ethics Committee to conduct its investigation.
Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) has also had to respond to allegations that he groped or forcibly kissed women without their consent. In a short press conference Monday, the SNL alum apologized for his behavior and promised he’ll work to regain voters’ -- and women’s -- trust. Franken was recently defended by female co-stars of SNL who called him a family man and stood in solidarity with him.
Then there’s Alabama Senatorial candidate Roy Moore, who’s running to fill the seat vacated by now-Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The GOP judge has been accused of preying on teenage girls while he was in his early thirties. He has rejected those claims and won the endorsement of President Donald Trump.
Many have called for the politicians involved to step down entirely. Meeks supports an investigation into allegations against Franken and others, but draws a sharp distinction between that and those who have a track record of abuse.
“Roy Moore is a whole different thing, even Charlie Rose, where you see a pattern of consistent and persistent aggression trying to lure someone into bed,” he said. “Or even the words of the current President of the U.S. who said that he felt, because of his celebrity, status to grab women where he wanted to grab them.”
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, came under fire for her defense of Conyers this weekend. After calling for an ethics investigation against her colleague, the California Democrat went on NBC’s “Meet the Press” and made statements that some perceived as bipartisan or tone-deaf.
In an interview Sunday, before Conyers stepped down from the Judiciary Committee, Pelosi touted his record in support of women and questioned the identity of his accusers.
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The Supreme Court will reconsider race-based affirmative action in college admissions. The court will examine admissions policies at Harvard University and The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, which count the race of applicants as a factor in admissions. The court has upheld affirmative action policies in the past, saying it helps to create more diverse student bodies. However, the conservative Supreme Court could be skeptical and even possibly hostile to such policies. Nick Anderson, Higher Education Writer, Washington Post joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
