Pressure mounts to unmask Hill harassers

[BeyondGeography]

Pressure is mounting on congressional leaders to release the names of lawmakers who have secretly settled sexual harassment claims at taxpayer expense — a move that some members of Congress are loath to make.

...Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) proposed legislation Wednesday that would mandate public disclosure of sexual harassment settlements — and ban Congress from footing the bill for such deals in the future. Within a few hours of introducing his bill, DeSantis had been contacted by several Republican and Democratic lawmakers asking to sign on.

"It's taxpayer dollars at issue; taxpayers have a right to know how their money is being spent," DeSantis said in an interview, adding that he doesn't understand "why the taxpayer should ever be on the hook for private misconduct of a member. ... That should not be something the taxpayers are funding."

...It's not just fiscal hawks calling for more transparency. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), a longtime sponsor of anti-sexual harassment legislation, has also urged leaders to release the names of lawmakers who've settled sexual harassment claims. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) agreed, telling MSNBC on Tuesday that "any settlements should be made public."

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/22/congress-sexual-harassment-settle-payments-259189

[bagelsforbreakfast]

1. I know just the guys to do the detective work...

[Initech]

2. Who is the republican that Rapist Cernovich had the papers on?

That name I want to know.

[Angry Dragon]

3. good move

[Raine]

4. Republicans and Democrats too

should all be exposed if they're harrassers.

[meadowlander]

5. It's also a question of exposing risks of blackmail or coercion.

If settlements of this kind aren't transparent, it perpetuates the opening for blackmail.