MSNBC this week hosted former Democratic U.S. Rep. Katie Hill of California to discuss the news of Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s resignation over multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.
Yes, that Katie Hill. As in, the one and only woman to resign from Congress over allegations of sexual misconduct.
Hill was introduced Tuesday evening by anchor Mehdi Hasan, who bragged that it took only 11 accusers, a nursing home death scandal, and a secretive and ultra-sleazy “friends and family” COVID-19 program for New York Democrats to find the strength to demand the governor’s resignation.
“Democrats put pressure on one of their own,” said the easily impressed Hasan, “a Democratic attorney general opened up multiple investigations into the Democratic governor. Members of his own party finally held him accountable. And it worked.”
He then turned his attention to Hill and asked, “Where are we now in terms of the me too movement, in terms of standing up to sexual misconduct in public life? Did today move us forward?”
Hill said, “I think it’s a really important line in the sand that has been drawn. We have been able to say, ‘This is not going to be tolerated by people in the highest positions of power, especially if you want votes from women, if you want votes from people who make up the democratic base.’ I think that’s meaningful, but it’s not enough.”
The call is coming from inside the house!
Remember: Hill resigned from Congress after it was revealed she had preyed on a campaign worker eight years her minor, taking full advantage of the natural power imbalance that exists in any sexual encounter between a superior and a subordinate. Hill, who admits to the affair with the aide, may also have misappropriated campaign funds to continue paying “consulting fees” to the younger woman as late as September 2019, nearly a full year after Hill won her election.
The affair left the campaign worker, whom Hill coaxed into a threesome relationship with Hill’s then-husband Kenny Heslep, in a state the campaign worker describes as a “mess.”
There are also separate allegations that Hill was romantically involved with her legislative director, Graham Kelly, who was paid the highest bonus of any aide who worked on the former congresswoman’s 2018 campaign.
Hill resigned before a congressional committee could investigate the allegations.
Anyway, back to the former congresswoman’s thoughts on Cuomo’s resignation.
“It is it an epidemic,” said Hasan, apparently oblivious to the irony of hosting Hill for a segment about sexual misconduct committed by elected officials. “You are right to talk about the need to move the conversation forward.”
After the usual blather about how Democrats are clearly better than Republicans because Democrats supposedly hold their own accountable (Ted Kennedy and Bill Clinton say “Hi!”), Hasan again pressed Hill for her thoughts on what more needs to be done to hold alleged sex pests accountable.
“We have to be constantly on the lookout for what are,” said the disgraced former congresswoman, “are we holding ourselves accountable? That’s one of the big reasons I decided to resign. I can’t stand here and say that one thing is right and make sure my actions — I need to make sure my actions hold up to that. You know, It was a tough discussion.”
Oh, please. Hill’s decision to resign wasn’t some high-minded one. She left because Congress launched an ethics investigation into the allegations of her misconduct. She bailed to avoid investigators.
Also, for what it’s worth, a former Hill staffer in October 2020 apparently tweeted from the former congresswoman’s congressional Twitter account, disputing the disgraced lawmaker’s contention that she is the real victim.
“Katie Hill is not a hero for women,” the alleged “former staffer” said. “We deserve heroes who embody our values even in the most difficult moments. Katie Hill was never investigated by the House Ethics Committee, nor has she been held accountable by anyone other than herself. We encourage everyone to reflect deeply before taking her word at face value.”
The staffer added, “Katie took advantage of her subordinates. She caused immense harm to the people who worked for her, many of whom were young women just beginning their careers in politics. Workplace abuse and harassment can take many different forms, but one thing is certain: it is never okay, even if your boss is a woman and/or a survivor.”
In other words, the account appears to confirm the worst of the allegations against Hill.
“Believe us when we say: it’s not only about who starts it, it’s also about who ends it. And, while Katie is certainly the survivor of abuse, we are not confident that she sufficiently acted to end her own patterns of inappropriate and abusive behavior,” it said.
It concludes, “Enough is enough. In order to advance the #MeToo movement, we must be willing to acknowledge the problematic behaviors among those in our own communities. Only then will we see true progress.”
On Tuesday, Hill continued to play the role of the martyr.
“Ultimately, I didn’t have people — it was my own decision,” Hill said, still playing at revisionist history. “It wasn’t people who were calling for it. I think that’s a big difference and one we see Republicans not even coming close to.”
Don’t laugh at MSNBC. After all, there’s something to be said for seeking out interview subjects with relevant expertise. In the case of its segment on Cuomo, it managed somehow to find an expert in both narcissistic and abusive behavior.
