On Wednesday, a Pennsylvania lobbyist named a Democratic legislator she said was sexually harassed four years ago. His name went public just hours after he and other lawmakers passed an expanded workplace protection, prompted in part by her story.
Andy Perez, a lobbyist for the International Union of Service Workers, said he was sexually harassed by Delaware County Rep. Mike Zabel and called for his resignation.
Zabel, who is entering his third term in the House of Representatives, has not responded to several messages left for comment in recent days. He was among those who voted Wednesday for a new House rule that expanded the section that handles allegations of sexual misconduct.
Perez has spoken out on the matter, but did not name Zabel at a Jan. 27 hearing held in Philadelphia by a bipartisan committee to consider rule changes. At her hearing, she said a state legislator caressed her leg while she was discussing legislation outside the Capitol in 2019, and he didn’t stop when she walked away from him. I was.
Former Philadelphia City Councilman Gets 3.5 Years in Prison in Massive Corruption Case
House rules at the time did not allow her to make a complaint to the House Ethics Committee.
House Democratic leaders released a statement late Wednesday saying they were concerned about the allegations and were taking them seriously. Democrat leaders noted that it would allow them to address issues going back in time.
Pennsylvania lobbyists accused Rep. Mike Zabel of sexually harassing her for four years.
The Associated Press generally does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted or grossly abused. We, Perez, have spoken publicly about it.
Philadelphia City Councilman, Union Leader Indicted in Massive Corruption Indictment
Perez called Zabel’s identification Wednesday by the conservative news outlet Broad and Liberty “despicable.” In her statement she has since released, Perez said she wanted to share more about her account at her own pace.
At least 120 state legislators in 41 states have faced public allegations of sexual misconduct or harassment since 2017, according to an AP tally. Of these, 47 have resigned or been expelled, and 45 have faced other consequences, including losing their positions as chairman or party leader. Most of these claims were raised after the #MeToo movement sparked public scrutiny of those in power accused of sexual misconduct.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives Regulations provide that elected representatives and other House employees may not, while performing the duties of the House of Representatives, in the offices of the House, on the premises of the House, or at any meeting or event sponsored by the House, be directed to anyone. Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
Wednesday’s vote, on a full House rule package containing items unrelated to the sexual harassment change, passed in a partisan vote.
“By sharing my story, I am proud to have made real, concrete and systemic change in Congress to give victims of harassment a course of justice,” Perez said in a statement. She said the House rule now “has some of the strongest anti-harassment accountability measures in any legislative body in the nation.”
