The division in the democrats of California state capital runs deep when it comes to the need to penalize their own colleagues for their sexual harassment accusations. This holds true as the democrat leaders in Sacramento, still are at a loss to choose the right way to deal with the bombardment of sexual harassment allegations against the fellow democrats.
Kevin de Leon, the State Senate President pro Tempore, and a democratic from the Los Angeles, and a lawmaker of high stature in the state, is being blamed for being unable to control the political consequences of the allegations. These allegations have targeted both, towards himself and his party, and for now, restoring the confidence of the supporters of the democrats and the state government as an institute seems to be an issue that the democrats are failing badly at.
The latest victim of these sexual harassment allegations and the California official to resign from his job is the judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for 9th Circuit, Alex Kozinski. Alex is the judge, against whom almost 15 women stepped forward with complains about sexual misconduct towards them.
But this is not the first case, before this, Raul Bocanegra and Matt Dababneh – both of them being the members of the Assembly, the State’s Democratic Party Official – Craig Cheslog, and Justice Conrad Rushing, the state appellee court justice too faced sexual allegations. These Sexual Allegations had caused them to resign from their jobs or take an early retirement, as they were flooded with sexual misconduct complaints from women over the last two months.
Kozinski’s decision, however, has yet not convinced the State Democratic Senator Tony Mendoza to step down from his position as Kozinski – however temporarily – as he faces severe sexual harassment charges from three women for the last two months.
The Senate, in order to carry out proper investigations regarding the sexual harassment accusations, have gone forward to hire two law firms against Tony Mendoza, along with a fellow democrat Senator, Bob Hertzberg. Another three women came forward against Hertzberg, saying that he had a habit of making them uncomfortable with prolonged hugs that never ended.
These serious allegations have caused new problems for De Leon as he goes through final weeks in his office. De Leon, is forced to leave his office on December 31st as he faces strict term end limits, as he continues to struggle with the chaos caused by the uproar of the sexual harassment accusations.
De Leon and Mendoza had shared apartments and though he himself is clear of accusations, Mendoza’s situation had forced him to look for new accommodations too as he struggled to distance him from Mendoza.
Mendoza’s stubborn reaction to these accusations of not stepping down from his positions is causing further uproar and criticism from the public, Republicans and even fellow democrats.
Christine Pelosi, the chair of the California Democratic Party’s Women’s Caucus said about the situation that, “The victims who call us and continue to call me are very, very concerned. [They wonder] will my perpetrator see justice? Will I forever be blacklisted if I put my name out there, and what if I go ahead and make a claim and name and name and my perpetrator refuses to leave?”
She added, “I mean, I don’t know what happened in that house. But even when you have the pro tem living with a committee chairman who invited a young woman over [to the apartment], then fired the staffers in the same meeting where they were going to complain about him inviting her over to the home, and the pro tem now tells the chairman, ‘I’m taking away your gavel, you need to resign,’ and [he] gives up the gavel but doesn’t resign, that’s a mess.”
