Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., did the right thing when she accepted the resignation of a longtime staffer credibly accused of sexual harassment. But the California Democrat will be dogged by the controversy because of the timing.

Larry Wallace had served as director of the Division of Law Enforcement under then-Attorney General Harris, the Sacramento Bee reports. He was accused by a female executive assistant of “gender harassment,” specifically asking her repeatedly to crawl under his desk to change the paper in his printer while she wore skirts and dresses.