Hardcore: Liberal Democratic Mayor of San Diego, Former 20-Year Congressman, is Serial Sexual Assaulter

I'd call this assault.

A city councilwoman and two lawyers, formerly allies of the mayor, held a press conference to air the charges lodged against Mayor Filner by a variety of women.

Former ally Briggs wrote that he must now turn on Filner, because his behavior is no mere slip-up or minor transgression, but consists of "hard core" violations.

In the Mayor's office, there was something known as the "Filner headlock" where the Mayor puts his arm around a woman's shoulder, pulls her in tight, gets in close to their face, asks about husband/boyfriend, says things like "you know you love me, lets go up to my office, no one will know."

...

Donna Frye described other specifics about a victim: "He grabbed her, kissed her, jamming his tongue down her throat." Frye went on to describe another encounter: "The Mayor quickly had his hand down the inside of her bra."

"I am the Mayor you can't kick me out of any office" one employee of Filner allegedly said after she kicked him out of her office for his unwanted advances.

The allies-turned-accusers are trying to get the lecherous old monster to step down without having the women to come forward and make the allegations themselves. Of course, that won't happen; he's a Democrat, and a union stooge to boot. So we're talking about the sort of retrograde, cynical, old-time machine politics mentality here where everything is fair game for your tribe that we usually don't see nowadays, at least not outside the national government.

After initially claiming there was nothing at all to the allegations, Filner then released an Apology Video in which he said he was sorry but did not name any specific actions he was sorry about.

“As someone who has spent a lifetime fighting for equality for all people, I am embarrassed to admit that I have failed to fully respect the women who work for me and with me, and that at times I have intimidated them,” Filner continued. “It’s a good thing that behavior that would have been tolerated in the past is being called out in this generation for what it is: inappropriate and wrong.”

Filner added: “I am also humbled to admit that I need help. I have begun to work with professionals to make changes in my behavior and approach. In addition, my staff and I will participate in sexual-harassment training provided by the city. Please know that I fully understand that only I am the one who can make these changes.”

But note that Apology Video came out last week -- he hasn't responded to the press conference today, which put forward a lot more creepy, rapey details about his behavior.

Filner's fiancée broke off the engagement this past weekend -- two of the women are said to be bringing legal action against Filner -- over these allegations clearly true facts.

Meanwhile, in the Decadent East, New Yorkers are finding the Weiner-Spitzer double-team to their taste.

posted by Ace at 06:15 PM

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