Rep. Katie Hill decries 'dirtiest gutter politics I've seen' in fiery farewell speech

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Rep. Katie Hill, D-Calif., delivered a fiery farewell speech on the House floor Thursday, blasting the "dirtiest gutter politics I've ever seen" shortly after casting her vote to approve procedures for the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump.

Hill announced her resignation Sunday amid an ethics investigation over an allegedly inappropriate relationship with a staffer and after nude pictures of her were published online."I wasn't ready for my time here to come to an end so soon," the freshman lawmaker said Thursday."

"I am leaving now because of a double standard. I am leaving because I no longer want to be used as a bargaining chip. I'm leaving because I didn't want to be peddled by papers and blogs and websites used by shameless operatives for the dirtiest gutter politics I've ever seen, and the right-wing media to drive clicks and expand their audience by distributing intimate photographs of me taken without my knowledge — let alone my consent — for the sexual entertainment of millions," Hill told her colleagues.

"I'm leaving because of a misogynistic culture that gleefully consumed my naked pictures, capitalized on my sexuality and enabled my abusive ex to continue that abuse, this time with the entire country watching," she said.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/rep-katie-hill-decries-dirtiest-gutter-politics-ive-seen-in-fiery-farewell-speech/ar-AAJDV27?li=BBnb7Kz

[Marcuse]

1. She didn't have to leave without due process and definitely not for the pictures.

[msongs]

2. poor thing, such a victim nt

[cwydro]

17. No kidding.

How about staying and fighting.

The whining ain’t working for me.

[leftstreet]

3. Did she have sex with a person she could fire? n/t

[ripcord]

4. Yes

Employers having a relationship with employees is just wrong.

[JaneQPublic]

10. She denied having a relationship with a House aide

But she admitted to a relationship with a campaign aide. Although from what I've read, it seemed Hill was seeing the aide before hiring her and actually hired her because of their relationship.

It's not uncommon for candidates to hire friends, family, BFs, and GFs to work on their campaigns.

[BootinUp]

14. If that's what happened

Then it’s about the pics and that she doesn’t want to deal with that part of it, for the rest of her public career. Because she could get the story straightened out if she wanted to.

[JaneQPublic]

16. In her speech, she said she's quitting because...

...she and her loved ones have been inundated with death threats via calls, emails, and texts

...certain right-wing parties threatened to continue trickling out more photos to distract from and undermine impeachment proceedings

...she felt the only investigation the public needs to be focusing on now is Trump's impeachment, not the one the Ethics Comittee would've conducted on her.

WhIle I understand her reasoning, I still believe she should stay and fight, getting all this behind her.

[SMC22307]

5. Wait. When did she start saying the pics were taken without her knowledge?

Has that been her explanation all along?

Her ex (soon-to-be ex?) really is a scuzz and I hope she goes after him, and anyone else involved in this revenge porn, HARD.

[JaneQPublic]

6. She said a couple of times in her speech

Here...

Link to tweet

?s=19

[SMC22307]

7. Sorry, I meant before today's farewell address.

I admit I haven't followed this story that closely, but I hadn't heard that previously.

[JaneQPublic]

9. Before today...

...the only public accounts of the events came from right wing papers/websites like the Daily Mail and RedState.

As she said in her speech, until today she has mostly been hiding out in her apartment. So it's unlikely she gave any press conferences or interviews apart from meeting with the House Ethics Committee.

So while there has been much speculation as to whether she "posed" as a willing model in the photos, it appears she didn't confirm until today that the photos were in fact taken without her knowledge or consent.

[SMC22307]

11. What a mess. I hope like hell that Papadopoulos doesn't stand a chance...

and that voters rally around the Democratic candidate.

[JaneQPublic]

13. Katie won by 9 points

So it seems the district is pretty blue.

[Xolodno]

8. She's out now...

...but I think once the investigation into who dumped the pictures on the internet comes to fruition. Shit is going to hit the fan. I heard they were put on reddit, so I got curious and did a search. They are all gone, all of them. And if you ask me, it wasn't by Katie's team with threats....but probably by the lawyers representing the person or persons who uploaded them. This California, and revenge porn will land you in deep do do. And this is the perfect high profile case to send a message to anyone of thinking about doing the same.

Add to that, I don't think we've seen the last of her.

[Dawson Leery]

12. Richard Painter on the matter:

Link to tweet

[Locutusofborg]

15. Recent Republican sex scandal resignations & retirements

Joe Barton (R-TX): Joe Barton from the Texas' 6th District and member of the conservative Freedom Caucus was found to have sent videos of himself masturbating to several women on the internet two years before divorcing from his second wife. Barton apologized and vowed to remain in congress and even fight the charges. A week later, Tea Party organizer Kelly Canon corroborated the stories by revealing that Barton had once asked if she was wearing panties and made other sexual references while he was still married. Barton finally announced he would not seek re-election (2017).

Blake Farenthold (R–TX): Farenthold of Texas was discovered to have paid $84,000 to a former member of his staff after she accused him of sexually assaulting her. He announced his retirement on December 15. On April 6, 2018, however, Farenthold abruptly resigned from Congress.

Trent Franks (R–AZ): It was reported on December 7, 2017, that Congressman Trent Franks of Arizona was the subject of a House Ethics Committee investigation over allegations of improper conduct. On December 7, 2017, Franks announced that he would resign on December 8, 2017. According to a report in the Washington Post, Franks and his wife were struggling with infertility and Franks had asked two female staffers if they would consider serving as surrogate mothers for Franks and his wife. Franks maintained that he never "physically intimidated, coerced, or had, or attempted to have, any sexual contact with any member of my congressional staff."

Pat Meehan (R–PA): On January 20, 2018, it was revealed that Congressman Pat Meehan of Pennsylvania used taxpayers money to settle a sexual harassment claim brought by a former member of staff. Meehan also allegedly grew hostile after the alleged victim rejected his advances. Meehan was soon removed from the U.S. House Ethics Committee and announced he would retire at the end of his term.

Timothy F. Murphy (R-PA): Murphy was married and an outspoken opponent of abortion; however, he was revealed to have strongly encourage his mistress to get an abortion when she became pregnant. Before an investigation could begin, Murphy resigned.