E. Jean Caroll, Victorious

“The only 100 percent guaranteed way to stop men from ‘crossing the line’ is using a tranquilizer gun. In the #MeToo era, each woman has to decide where her own line is and how firmly she will prevent each boss, preacher, teacher, coworker, old friend, and stranger from crossing it. She alone determines which reaction is ‘right’ for her. And by each of us choosing for ourselves, we empower all womankind.”
E. Jean Carroll in Elle, September 2019 

Despite a male-dominated jury, despite the dismal rate of legal success for sexual assault survivors, despite the decades that had passed and despite the defendant being a former president whose public glee about all the sexual assault he’s gotten away with did not prevent his election — magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll was awarded $5 million this week, when a jury found Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming her.

In bringing this lawsuit, she exposed herself to the hatred and dismissal of not only Trump’s most hardcore fans, but the wide swath of this country that responds with cruelty and derision when any woman dares challenge its rape culture. Look no further than the CNN “town hall,” the crowd — all of whom, statistically, know women who have been sexually assaulted (if they haven’t been themselves) — roaring with laughter as Trump narrated Carroll’s account of his attack.

She had to sit there and bear the same attacks powerful men have turned on women accusing them of violence — “she just wants to get famous,” “she’s just trying to take down my career” — since time immemorial. She, a woman with a vibrant life and career, risking her security and peace for a “fame” that manifests in lewd insults and online abuse?

If the town hall was a reminder of why most women stay silent about their assaults, Carroll’s victory was a reminder of how important it is when the small minority comes forward. Carroll herself said she was spurred to make her experience public after witnessing the courage of other women, particularly those whose bravery ultimately brought down Harvey Weinstein. And her own case was bolstered by the testimony of Jessica Leeds and Natasha Stoynoff, who had their own stories of being attacked by Trump.

In this time, when democracy is so constantly on the brink, we often jump to the potential political ramifications of a situation like this. I don’t know how this will affect Trump’s candidacy, months out from the election, when so many people already know about his misogyny and the dozens of sexual abuse allegations made against him.

But I do know that more women than you think are seeing themselves in this glamorous, whimsical, deeply brave writer, are registering her fortitude and insistence on holding even one of the most powerful men in our country to account. And for that, she’s empowered all womankind. 

More on other news below. Let’s dig in. 

— Kate Riga

Does George Santos Have A (Real) Treasurer?

Rep. George Santos (R-NY) has had a lot of trouble this week. First, he was arrested on Wednesday on 13 criminal charges, including wire fraud and money laundering. Then, he struck a deal with Brazilian authorities to pay restitution to a store he allegedly swindled back in 2008.

This week, somehow, a fresh new complaint was lobbied against him: His campaign treasurer may or may not actually exist.

This week, the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics In Washington (CREW) filed a complaint to the Federal Election Commission arguing that there’s reason to believe Andrew Olson, Santos’ campaign treasurer, isn’t a real person. “Mr. Olson is not and has not been identified as a treasurer to any political committee outside of those connected to Representative Santos,” the complaint said. “No one asked about it appears to know Mr. Olson, including those knowledgeable of political committee treasurers and New York Republican politics.”

CREW is asking the agency to look into the matter themselves. Depending on what they find, it could spell more legal trouble for the freshman Republican.

— Kaila Philo

Santos Charged With Same Fraud He Claims He Wants To Root Out

Embattled Rep. George Santos (R-NY) was hit with a 13 count federal indictment on Tuesday. In one of the charges against Santos, federal prosecutors allege he committed fraud when he applied for and received $24,744 in unemployment insurance benefits even though he had a job.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise since Santos has surely lied about much worse.

But get this. The same week Santos was hit with unemployment benefits fraud, the House was also scheduled to vote on a bill to help states recover fraudulent COVID unemployment payments. And guess who’s a co-sponsor of that bill? The one and only Santos, everyone’s favorite lying congressman.

— Emine Yücel

The Stakes For Democracy In Turkey Are At An All Time High

On Sunday, more than 60 million eligible voters will head to polls to vote in Turkey’s presidential and parliamentary elections.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan — who has been in power for two decades — and his conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP) are facing what might be their biggest challenge yet as they attempt to maintain their grasp on power.

Erdoğan will face off against the social democratic Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu — his primary opposition — and Sinan Oğan, a nationalist nominee from the right-wing Ancestral Alliance.

The stakes for democracy are at an all time high: Many of those who will go to the polls this weekend view these elections as their best shot in years to boot Erdoğan from power and change the trajectory of the country. Young voters are energized around the CHP opposition, and with close to 5 million first-time voters — many who grew up solely under Erdoğan’s reign — experts say their vote could define the elections.

The once highly popular Erdoğan has been struggling amid Turkey’s crippling economic crisis, soaring inflation and the staunch criticism his government received for its handling of February’s deadly earthquakes — which devastated large swathes of the country and left thousands dead or without shelter, food, water and electricity.

On Sunday, if none of the presidential candidates receive more than 50% of the votes, the elections will go to a second round and voters will decide between the two top candidates on May 28.

Some observers have expressed concern that if Erdoğan doesn’t win, he might pull a Trump and refuse the election results. In fact, he and his allies have already made threats that they won’t go down easy if they don’t win the election: One of his minister’s has even described the election as the West and the opposition orchestrating a “political coup” against the Erdoğan government.

Erdoğan has denied election results before. In 2019, his party AKP lost the Istanbul mayorship narrowly to the main opposition CHP. He never accepted the loss and contested those results, forcing a second run of the same election, which they also lost.

I’ll be heading to Istanbul myself next week, likely arriving after the election has been decided. This will be my first trip back home in a while. And it worries me deeply that the place I call home and the people, the food, the smells and the sounds I miss so deeply might be buried in chaos or even violence.

— Emine Yücel

“You have to infer what’s happening here… you’re not gonna get necessarily hard proof but there’s such a huge body of evidence.” 

That’s Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) during a Fox News interview this week saying people will have to “infer what’s happening” around the recent allegations being peddled by Republicans against President Biden and his family.

But don’t fret! As they say in America, the Biden’s are innocent until inferred guilty.

— Emine Yücel