According to journalist Ronan Farrow, one of the reporters who broke last night’s bombshell piece detailing sexual assault accusations against New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, some of the victims did not report the abuse at the time because of the power Schneiderman had in the Democratic party.
“This was doubly hard because this was a prominent and powerful figure in Democratic politics,” he said to CNN’s Alisyn Camerota. “And many of these women were very connected to Democratic, political players.
“In some cases, friends warned them off of talking because they thought that he had the power to do too much good for the Democratic party,” he added.
In Farrow’s New Yorker piece, four women accuse Schneiderman of sexual assault, domestic abuse, and blackmail.
Watch the CNN interview below:
Ronan Farrow: Schneiderman’s victims reportedly didn’t speak out due to fear of reprisal, the good Schneiderman could do for the Dem party pic.twitter.com/4syPoe1QZv
— Kate Riga (@Kate_Riga24) May 8, 2018
And…resigned.
Yeah Ronan…just keep talking…
If the allegations are true, and I tend to believe the women, his resignation comes not a minute too soon. He used his powerful position to keep these women cowed, frightened, silenced. I feel no pity for him. And he’s not the only person in this country who can do good and support Democratic causes.
On a side note: Both Jane Mayer and Ronan Farrow are powerhouse journalists! Nice job!!
Completely OT: Ronan Farrow could be a female clone of his mother, the resemblance is striking.
I read the article last night and that was one of the most heartbreaking things - women sacrificing their personal justice for what they saw as a greater good. An old tale and the justification for so much suffering, but here it was taken to such extremes that it really must have felt like it was a bargain worth keeping to protect his personal life.
I find it interesting that it was the realization that it wasn’t just a personal dilemma, that the next woman was going to be abused as well, that led to one of his victims deciding that it had to be exposed even if it took down a person so many had pinned their hopes on.
There is much here, from the differing valuations and self-worth perceived by even the most socially enlightened men and women, to the reliance on heroes versus of the power of institutions and society when facing our greatest adversaries.