Exclusive: New Email Suggests More Complex Story Behind Harold Ford Jr. Harassment Allegations

[DonViejo]

by Colby Hall | 7:07 am, December 8th, 2017

At first blush, Harold Ford, Jr. seems to be just another bold-faced name in an ever-increasing list of high-profile men publicly forced out of a position of power due to highly credible or confessed allegations of misconduct. But Mediaite has obtained emails that suggest the allegations of misconduct behind his apparent dismissal from his job at Morgan Stanley, are far less definitive than initially reported.

Yesterday, Huffington Post contributor Yashar Ali broke the story that a female reporter who worked with Ford on a story said she was interviewed by Morgan Stanley’s HR department to probe possible misconduct.

-snip-

Mediaite has reviewed both emails referenced in the Ali report but has also seen an additional email exchange between Ford and the woman, the tone and content of which varies dramatically from the email cited in the Ali report. The emails from the Huffington Post report were sent two weeks after the evening in question. The email we’ve obtained appears to have been sent almost immediately after the February 11, 2014 dinner.

It appears the evening in question centered around a meeting between a financial reporter, Ford Jr., and a fellow colleague — which led to a dinner at a well-known midtown restaurant. After buying the reporter’s dinner, Ford Jr. and the reporter in question shared a cab downtown (where Ford, Jr. lived at the time) and the reporter continued on to Brooklyn.

That evening, after the reporter ostensibly arrived home safely, she sent an appreciative email to Ford, Jr. thanking him. “had fun tonight!” The email reads. “thanks for inviting me out, and for the meal, and my ride home. hope you got back safe and sound?”

more
https://www.mediaite.com/online/exclusive-new-email-suggests-more-complex-story-behind-harold-ford-jr-harassment-allegations/

[vi5]

1. Why doesn't it surprise me...

..that the media is willing to do an in depth report and investigation on exonerating someone like the "centrist", conservadem Harold Ford but are more than happy to leave Al Franken out to dry and get lumped in with all the other miscreants and perverts.

[Drahthaardogs]

3. Media?

WE did this! Look at DU. About ten posters kept the war drums beating day after day after day. GD was just full of it. Now that he has resigned, I see nothing from almost all of them.

[tazkcmo]

2. What ever he does now

He needs to resign. The accusation is enough. We need no discussion, proof or credibility. The rules have been set. Democrats resign and GOPee-ers get promoted.

[NCTraveler]

4. What are you talking about?

Resign from what?

[LisaL]

5. He got fired from his job over this, but he isn't currently

in Congress, so he can't resign.

[ecstatic]

6. What strikes me is that she asked him not to contact her and he apologized and

stopped contacting her. Issue should have been resolved, right? In some cases, "offenders" don't even realize that their actions were perceived as offensive. They didn't work together, he was not her superior. Ford denied it, but let's assume the woman who accused him truly believes that he invited her out for drinks and pulled her towards him and she felt extremely uncomfortable and scared. But if we're being honest, the same exact actions could have also lead to a relationship with another woman who was actually interested in him.

Women are approached and flirted with frequently and it's nothing memorable or worthy of a second thought unless the person who "flirted" with us is renowned or a famous celebrity. Even if the famous person does something that countless other nameless guys have done without us thinking twice about it, we end up remembering it forever.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

7. I have an open mind

I have never forcibly grabbed any woman or man in my life. Having drinks and dinner for work is part of my job, and all of my outreach to the news reporter making these false allegations was professional and at the direction of my firm for business purposes. I support and have tremendous respect for the brave women now speaking out in this important national dialogue. False claims like this undermine the real silence breakers. I will now be bringing legal action against the reporter who has made these false claims about me as well as Morgan Stanley for improper termination.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/harold-ford-fired-morgan-stanley_us_5a29743ee4b0b185e53a0ce6?ncid=engmodushpmg00000004

Let's see if he sues and what the impending litigation reveals

[dsc]

8. His problem is he is a public figure and not just some dude

that said, if she out and out lied public figure or no he should be able to win.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

9. I have empathy for victims and those that are falsely accused.

I see a lot of "the sky is falling" posts where every innocent touch or action will be turned into an incident of sexual harassment or abuse. I trust the factually innocent will assert their innocence and be vindicated.