A former Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) campaign aide is accusing her supervisor, Robert Becker, of inappropriate behavior escalating to a forced grab and kiss on the night of the 2016 Democratic Convention, according to a Wednesday Politico report.
The woman did not report the incident at the time, but was prompted to when Becker took on another prominent role in Sanders’ 2020 efforts, shoring up potential staffers — including his alleged victim — and making trips to the early voting states.
“It just really sucks because no one ever held him accountable and he kept pushing and pushing and seeing how much he could get away with,” the woman told Politico. “You can’t run for President of the United States unless you acknowledge that every campaign demands a safe work environment for every employee and volunteer.”
Becker denies the allegation.
This is just the most recent account of alleged sexual assault and harassment from a former Sander staffer as details emerge about the “bro” culture of the 2016 campaign and lack of accountability. Sanders addressed the allegations with a milquetoast apology last week, saying he was sorry “to any woman who felt that she was not treated appropriately.”
But it was for the Revolution!
Bernie is going to find it much more difficult to even get a campaign off the ground this time around. This is just the first in what I expect will be a steady stream of accusations against a whole slew of his staffers. The mass resignations when he appointed Weaver to head up his Revolution was a pretty big red flag, for example. Its no surprise that Weaver will not be his campaign manager again.
But I think the rot is very deep all around Bernie.
I wish Sanders were a person, and personified an organization, who/which I could disagree with purely on the merits, because he has some ideas which should be engaged with seriously before being either adopted or (I think mostly) discarded.
Unfortunately he doesn’t seem able to lead an organization decent enough to carry his own banner. Bernieism cannot fail, it can only be failed, I guess.
Wow, berning out rapidly…
I don’t like that this is what will sink Sanders’ reputation (finally), but I’m glad SOMETHING is happening.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: without resorting to Google, how many of us can say what Sanders has actually accomplished in his political career?
Like most Independents, he prefers to bark from the corners instead of actually committing to anything.
Stop looking for heroes. BE one.