Aide: Rep. Farenthold Drank to Excess, Prompted Redhead Patrol
Source: Reuters
10 hours ago
REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein
Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-TX) allowed a culture of sexism to flourish in his office, a former press secretary told The New York Times. The former press secretary, who is one of three former staffers to file complaints alleging sexual misconduct in Farentholds office, told the Times that Farenthold often became violently angry in his office and bullied staffers. Farenthold regularly drank to excess and flirted with women, particularly redheads, prompting staffers to lead redhead patrols to keep the congressman out of trouble, the former press secretary alleged. The former press secretary also said Farentholds employees frequently discussed reporters breasts in the office. .....................................
Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/last-minute-deals-two-of-kickstarters-biggest-hits-and-more
And why is this man still in Congress??
Tawdry Tales Depict a Texas Congressmans Frat House on the Hill
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/11/us/politics/blake-farenthold-sexual-harassment.html?_r=0
Sheryl Gay Stolberg
9-11 minutes
Two former aides to Representative Blake Farenthold, Republican of Texas, described his office as freewheeling, yet also filled with fear. Aaron P. Bernstein/Reuters
WASHINGTON ........................
As allegations of sexual misconduct rock Capitol Hill three lawmakers announced their resignations last week alone Mr. Farenthold, Republican of Texas, stands out as the survivor. He was sued over accusations of sexual harassment three years ago, paid out an $84,000 settlement, financed by taxpayers, and has an open Ethics Committee investigation into his behavior. Yet only a few Republicans have called for his resignation.
A peek into the inner workings of his office reveals the kind of hostile work environment, rife with sexual innuendo, that prompted Representative Jackie Speier, Democrat of California, to call Congress the worst place for women to work.
Throughout the Capitol, House aides have described office cultures where sexually explicit conversations are routine, pickup lines are part of daily life, hiring can be based on looks, tolerance is expected and intolerance of such behavior is career-ending. In Mr. Farentholds case, legal documents and interviews with former aides suggest an atmosphere in which the congressman set the tone for off-color jokes and inappropriate banter, which flourished among his underlings.......................................
The congressman, they said, was volatile. When he was angry, they added, Mr. Farenthold would berate them, sometimes sweeping his arm across his desk, knocking its contents to the floor, and threatening to fire people. ...............................................
The refrigerator in the bullpen the open area where aides worked was filled with beer, and sometimes happy hour would begin at 4:30 p.m., which his aides called beer-thirty. ........................
Scarsdale
(9,426 posts)as repulsive as tRump. What a disgrace this guy is. I suspect there are MANY more just like him, too. Easy to understand why the gop is getting in line to support Roy Moore!!
Julian Englis
(2,309 posts)It's enough that he is taking advantage of his power.
fountainofyouth
(409 posts)A fit, handsome legislator would have no more license to do what Farenthold did.
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)There's enough bad about him,
without going there
obamanut2012
(26,111 posts)Ethics investigation? 100% yes. But not resigning.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,354 posts)Since they are the ones making the main "do we continue employing this person?" decision.
FakeNoose
(32,720 posts)The voters in his district would be shocked to hear that $84,000 of their money had been paid out to his victims.
Let's get the word out, Democrats.
PearliePoo2
(7,768 posts)The list of Texan assholes in D.C. is too long to list.
Farenthold's lewd, drunken ass needs to be thrown to the curb. What a total pig.
alarimer
(16,245 posts)Frances "Sissy" Farenthold is his step-grandmother and a notable pioneer in Texas politics.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Farenthold
dalton99a
(81,566 posts)snooper2
(30,151 posts)LOL
jmowreader
(50,562 posts)I'm sorry guys, but this has been proven over and over again: a very high percentage of the people who run for Congress are the kind of people you wouldn't hire for your own business if your life depended on it - but they're all we have to choose from.
Lonestarblue
(10,053 posts)Im not in his district, but I sure hope the Democrat running against him uses all this information. His district is Corpus Christi and areas north up to Bastrop County near Austin, which has a lot of rural red voters. However, this district also has a large Hispanic population. If Democrats would court them, they might be able to flip this one.
alarimer
(16,245 posts)That was my district when I lived in Texas.
Javaman
(62,532 posts)what an asshole.
maybe orange would be more his style.
Thor_MN
(11,843 posts)To get a shirt that you can button up all the way, you have miles of extra fabric around you waist and sleeves that are too long.
I can give him a pass on that, but not for what he has done. He needs to be removed from office. Using taxpayer money to hush misconduct is not acceptable.
The other thing I can't give a pass on are the assholes that spent hours here attacking Franken while remaining totally silent on Farthold.
world wide wally
(21,754 posts)AllyCat
(16,216 posts)Republicans will elect ANYONE who is not a Democrat. Murderer, racist, Klansman, serial sexual assaulter...they don't care. Just so it's not a Democrat.
annabanana
(52,791 posts)skin crawling here..
PatrickforO
(14,586 posts)of the support of the female staff in his Senate office...
But, no, the GOP will do nothing about Farenthold, Moore, Trump and who knows how many.
But wasn't Franken a nice sacrificial lamb?
Old Crank
(3,616 posts)Because he is GOP.....
czarjak
(11,287 posts)DUDE