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Hillary Clinton Allegedly Protected Campaign Adviser Accused of Sexual Misconduct: Report


The New York Times published a story on Friday that claims Hillary Clinton ignored complaints about sexual harassment against a senior campaign adviser, Burns Strider.

According to the report, Strider, who worked closely with Clinton on her 2008 White House run, was accused of “repeatedly sexually harassing a young subordinate.” The young woman ultimately made a complaint against Strider after he allegedly “rubbed her shoulders inappropriately, kissed her on the forehead and sent her a string of suggestive emails,” the outlet alleges.

After it had been filed, the complaint was escalated to the campaign manager, who reportedly urged Clinton to release Strider from his duties. But, per the Times, despite this recommendation to cut him loose, Strider remained on the team at Clinton’s request.

As a result of the allegations against him, Strider was reportedly docked several weeks of pay and ordered to undergo counseling. The young woman who made the accusations was moved to a new job within the campaign, the Times reports.

As with most political staffers, the signing of a nondisclosure agreement during the campaign that barred employees from publicly discussing campaign ongoings prevented the young woman from coming forward with the story on her own. When reached by a reporter from the Times, she declined to comment.

Following Clinton’s failed White House run in 2008, Strider went on to lead a group, Correct the Record, that backed Clinton’s 2016 candidacy. According to the Times, Strider was fired several months later, however, with “workplace issues” as the catalyst for his release. It was noted by the Times that these “issues” included allegations that he “harassed a young female aide” at the organization.

The New York Times reached out repeatedly to Strider for comment, but has yet to receive a reply. You can read the whole story here.

Clinton responded to the story via Twitter on Friday: “A story appeared today about something that happened in 2008,” she wrote in a series of two tweets. “I was dismayed when it occurred, but was heartened the young woman came forward, was heard, and had her concerns taken seriously and addressed. I called her today to tell her how proud I am of her and to make sure she knows what all women should: we deserve to be heard.”





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Matt Lauer Once Gave a Female Coworker a Sex Toy As a Gift, According to a New Bombshell Report


As the post-Weinstein reckoning rages on, longstanding Today show anchor Matt Lauer is the latest prominent man in media to be fired for sexual misconduct.

On Wednesday morning, NBC announced that Lauer had been terminated. In a memo to company employees, NBC News Chairman Andy Lack wrote that the decision stemmed from “a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer” and revealed that though this was the first of its kind, “we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident.”

Shortly after the news broke, Variety‘s New York Bureau Chief Ramin Setoodeh ‏tweeted that he and reporter Elizabeth Wagmeister had spent two months investigating “serious sexual harassment allegations” against the Today host, and NBC was aware of their work. Within hours of NBC’s announcement, Variety published their report and revealed numerous disturbing allegations of sexual harassment against Lauer.

Three women spoke to the publication—choosing to remain unnamed for fear of career retaliation—and their accounts were corroborated by friends and colleagues. One of the women said she once received a sex toy from the former anchor, who also detailed how he would want to use it on her in an “explicit note.” Another said Lauer once called her into his office, dropped his pants, and exposed himself to her—then chastised her when she refused to engage in a sexual act. And numerous Today employees said it was well-known that Lauer often made lewd comments to female colleagues, be it asking them who they’d slept with or telling them which fellow co-hosts he wanted to sleep with during rounds of “fuck, marry, kill.”

Per Variety, the complaint that resulted in Lauer’s termination stemmed from an incident that first occurred during the 2014 Sochi Olympics and continued for several months. On Monday, an NBC employee met with human resources about the continued encounters and the network quickly took action—but others say that past complaints “fell on deaf ears given the lucrative advertising surrounding Today.”

According to the bombshell report, Lauer’s office was fashioned with a button under his desk that “allowed him to lock his door from the inside without getting up.” This gave him the power to initiate sexual contact with female employees without fear of someone walking in, two women told Variety. And when Lauer was traveling on assignment, he would often fixate on young women on staff, often inviting them back to his hotel rooms.

“There were a lot of consensual relationships, but that’s still a problem because of the power he held,” a former producer told Variety. “He couldn’t sleep around town with celebrities or on the road with random people, because he’s Matt Lauer and he’s married. So he’d have to do it within his stable, where he exerted power, and he knew people wouldn’t ever complain.”

Lauer’s former Today co-hosts addressed the possibility of additional allegations coming forward as they announced the news Wednesday morning.

“As I’m sure you can imagine, we are devastated and we are still processing all of this,” Savannah Guthrie said to viewers at the top of the broadcast. “I will tell you right now we do not know more than what I just shared with you, but we will be covering this story as reporters, as journalists. I’m sure we will be learning more details in the hours and days to come. And we promise we will share that with you.”

Though Guthrie said she was “heartbroken” for her former colleague, she also made clear that she was similarly distraught for “the brave colleague who came forward to tell her story and any other women who have their own stories to tell.”

“This reckoning that so many organizations have been going through is important, it’s long overdue and it must result in workplaces where all women—all people—feel safe and respected,” Guthrie added.





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Melania Trump Isn't Too Thrilled About Being First Lady, According to a New Report


In the roughly ten months since her husband took office, it seems that no one has been subject to more palace intrigue than First Lady Melania Trump. Whether she’s swatting her husband’s hand away, launching an anti-cyberbullying initiative while the President blasts members of his own party on Twitter, or inspiring conspiracy theories about a supposed body double that stands in her place, there’s been plenty of fodder for those who love speculating about the First Lady’s life. And now, according to a new report from Vanity Fair, there’s more fuel to add to the “Melania doesn’t like being First Lady” fire—and several sources close to the Trumps have revealed that she isn’t particularly keen on her new life.

As VF‘s Sarah Ellison reports, it was Melania who pushed Donald to run in 2016 after he had toyed with the idea in 2012. But this didn’t stem from any real desire for her husband to enter politics; rather, it was born more from her frustration with his back and forth about a presidential bid. And as Ellison puts it, “there may never have been a First Lady less prepared for or suited to the role.

“This isn’t something she wanted and it isn’t something he ever thought he’d win,” a longtime friend of the family told the magazine. “She didn’t want this come hell or high water. I don’t think she thought it was going to happen.”

And now that Melania has inherited the East Wing of the White House—where the First Lady and her staff members are customarily based—her less-than-enthusiastic view of the role is apparent. She has just nine staffers—half the number of employees that both Michelle Obama and Laura Bush had. During the transition between Barack Obama and Donald Trump, East Wing workers “had very little to do.” And Melania and her son Barron didn’t actually move into the White House until June of this year—making her the first First Lady in the country’s history to put off moving down to Washington.

Those close to Melania, however, say that she’s “slowly warming to the job” and CNN’s Kate Bennett recently told The Daily Front Row that, despite seeming quiet and reserved, the First Lady “connects well and seems to come alive in a joyful way” whenever she spends time with children.

Still, there’s plenty of chatter surrounding Melania’s relationship with her husband. Per VF, Melania’s friends are “divided” when it comes to her feelings toward her husband—with the infamous hand swatting and her apparent discomfort while dancing with him at the inaugural balls not reflecting too favorably on their relationship as a whole. As one pal put it, it’s “old news” that Melania and Donald basically live separate lives.

But others have refuted these assertions. As one of the President’s oldest friends put it, “The one who has the most control over Donald is Melania, 100 percent…He listens to her and adores her.”

As for what the First Lady herself thinks of all this, she’s remained characteristically silent; both she and her press secretary declined to be interviewed by Vanity Fair.



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Harvey Weinstein Allegedly Masturbated in Front of a Female News Anchor, According to a New Report


PHOTO: Jacopo Raule/GC Images

When the New York Times broke a bombshell investigation on Thursday recounting decades of alleged sexual harassment by film producing mogul Harvey Weinstein, the blowback against him was immediate and strong. Democratic politicians he had contributed to ferried his donations to charities supporting women in power, women took to Twitter to share their own stories of sexual harassment (there were many), and Lena Dunham wrote a powerful response on Instagram. Now, one more woman is adding her voice to the group: A female TV reporter is alleging that Weinstein masturbated in front of her, and her account is horrifying.

According to HuffPo, which broke the story on Saturday, Weinstein was at Ciprani, an Italian restaurant in New York City, about a decade ago. There, he met a local cable news anchor, Lauren Sivan, who later rode with him, the restaurant’s owner, and others to a Cuban-themed club the restaurant owner was an investor in. Once there, Weinstein wanted to take her on a tour of the club’s restaurant. “Sivan said she reluctantly agreed and they went downstairs to the restaurant,” HuffPo reports. “Just before Sivan left, [a] friend told her that if she wasn’t back in 10 minutes, she would come to check on her.”

Once they got to the restaurant’s kitchen, Weinstein sent away a few employees who were cleaning up. He tried to kiss Sivan, who rejected him and told him she had a long-term boyfriend. His response, according to HuffPo, was “Well, can you just stand there and shut up.”

The only way for Sivan, who was blocked by kitchen equipment, to exit the situation was to push past him and get to the hallway. She says she “was trapped by Weinstein’s body and was intimidated.” Weinstein then allegedly undid his pants and started masturbating in front of her.

“Sivan said she was deeply shocked by Weinstein’s behavior and was frozen and didn’t know what to do or say,” reports HuffPo. “The incident in the vestibule didn’t last long. Sivan says Weinstein ejaculated quickly into a potted plant that was in the vestibule and then proceeded to zip up his pants, and they walked back into the kitchen.”

The aforementioned friend, who needed to remain anonymous for HuffPo‘s article due to employer restrictions on talking to the press, had been trying to get downstairs to Sivan since 10 minutes had been up. Initially blocked by a security guard, he eventually let her downstairs into the cafe. She met both as they were headed up from the cafe and says that Sivan told her what happened right after they left the club.

But it didn’t end there: Weinstein allegedly called Sivan the next day to say he’d had “a great time” and asked if she’d like to meet up with him once he was back from some travel. She took a hard pass, reminding him she had a boyfriend, and ended the call. In a passage that matches many women’s accounts of sexual harassment, “She remained quiet because she was in a long-term relationship and fearful of the power that Weinstein wielded in the media.”

When asked for comment, Weinstein’s publicist acknowledged receiving questions HuffPo had emailed over but offered no response; his lawyer, Lisa Bloom, also turned down requests for an interview. Weinstein has taken “indefinite leave” from his production company as of Friday, but we’ll keep you updated with more developments as they happen. Sivan’s account is the stuff of nightmares—and yet another reminder that men in positions of power have gotten away with abusing people for far too long.

Related Stories:
–Lena Dunham Wrote a Powerful Response to Those Explosive Harvey Weinstein Allegations
–An Explosive Report Alleges Decades of Sexual Harassment by Harvey Weinstein
–After Harvey Weinstein Allegations, Women Share Stories of Sexual Harassment on Twitter



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An Explosive Report Alleges Decades of Sexual Harassment by Hollywood Powerhouse Harvey Weinstein


According to a bombshell report from The New York Times, Harvey Weinstein—the Hollywood powerhouse and studio executive behind films like Pulp Fiction, Good Will Hunting, and Silver Linings Playbook—has faced numerous allegations of sexual harassment and unwanted physical contact from female employees, some dating back three decades.

Times reporters spoke to dozens of former and current employees of the Weinstein Company, a film studio founded by Weinstein and his brother, Bob, as well as people within the broader film industry and uncovered numerous accusations of inappropriate conduct. At least eight settlements have been reached since 1990, including a 1997 settlement with a then 23-year-old Rose McGowan. The Charmed actress reached a $100,000 settlement with Weinstein after an incident in a hotel room during the Sundance Film Festival; however, according to a legal document obtained by the Times, this monetary agreement was “not to be construed as an admission” but rather an effort to “avoid litigation and buy peace.”

Several women relayed similar stories of misconduct by Weinstein, often occurring when the executive would invite them for meetings at a hotel. The Times spoke with actress Ashley Judd, who said that Weinstein invited her to the Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel in the 1990s for what she assumed was a breakfast meeting. Instead, she was summoned to his room. Weinstein was wearing a bathrobe and asked if Judd could watch him shower or if he could give her a massage.

When Judd recounted the incident to the Times, she said she remembered wondering, How do I get out of the room as fast as possible without alienating Harvey Weinstein?

Another woman, former temporary employee Emily Nestor, also met with Weinstein at the Peninsula in 2014. According to the Times, she was told that if she “accepted his sexual advances, he would boost her career.”

The Times also obtained a 2015 memo written by former Weinstein Company employee Lauren O’Connor who was among the women who received a settlement from the film executive. O’Connor detailed allegations that spanned a two-year period, including an incident with another female employee who said that Weinstein appeared naked before her and forced her to give him a massage. As O’Connor wrote, the encounter left the woman “crying and very distraught.”

“There is a toxic environment for women at this company,” O’Connor wrote. “The balance of power is me: 0, Harvey Weinstein: 10.”

Though dozens of employees were aware of Weinstein’s alleged behavior, very few ever confronted him about it. Instead, Weinstein perpetuated what the Times called a “code of silence.” Employees could not criticize company executives in ways that could hurt both the company’s or a personal employee’s reputation. And women who did receive settlements—which typically spanned from $80,000 to $150,000—often signed confidentiality agreements.

But when O’Connor’s memo hit in 2015, executives and board members at the Weinstein Company—including Weinstein’s brother—were disturbed. But ultimately, O’Connor reached a settlement with Weinstein, withdrew her complaint, and left the company—all the while thanking Weinstein for the experience to be part of the film industry. After the settlement was reached, the board was informed that there was nothing to investigate.

In a statement given to the Times, Weinstein said, “I appreciate the way I’ve behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and I sincerely apologize for it. Though I’m trying to do better, I know I have a long way to go.”

He revealed that he’s been working with therapists and is planning to take a leave of absence in order to “deal with this issue head-on.”

Attorney Lisa Bloom, who has been advising Weinstein and previously represented clients who brought sexual harassment charges against Bill O’Reilly, told the Times in a statement that Weinstein “denies many of the accusations as patently false.” Bloom has been counseling Weinstein on gender and power dynamics, and referred to him as an “old dinosaur learning new ways.”

Bloom further said that she’s “explained to him that due to the power difference between a major studio head like him and most others in the industry, whatever his motives, some of his words and behaviors can be perceived as inappropriate, even intimidating.”

However, according to a report from BuzzFeed News published Thursday afternoon, one of Weinstein’s other attorneys, Charles Harder, is preparing a lawsuit against the Times and will donate proceeds to women’s organizations. In a statement to BuzzFeed news, Harder said:

“The New York Times published today a story that is saturated with
false and defamatory statements about Harvey Weinstein. It relies on
mostly hearsay accounts and a faulty report, apparently stolen from an
employee personnel file, which has been debunked by 9 different
eyewitnesses. We sent the Times the facts and evidence, but they
ignored it and rushed to publish. We are preparing the lawsuit now.
All proceeds will be donated to women’s organizations.”

A representative from the Times told BuzzFeed News, “We are confident in the accuracy of our reporting. Mr. Weinstein was aware and able to respond to specific allegations in our story before publication. In fact, we published his response in full.”



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