A state office in California tasked with investigating sexual harassment complaints against local lawmakers has concluded that Orange County Assemblyman Bill Brough did, indeed, make unwanted sexual advances towards several of his colleagues.
Brough, whose voting record includes opposing a ban on gay conversion therapy and opposing gender neural bathrooms, and who doesn’t believe “nonbinary” is a gender, has been accused of propositioning multiple female colleagues on numerous occasions. Not only that, but he allegedly promised one woman political favors in exchange for sex.
The allegations were first made over a year ago, when Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett, along with three other women, came forward to accuse Brough of making multiple aggressive, unwanted advances towards them over an eight year period.
The first alleged incident happened back in 2011, when Brough cornered a colleague after a work dinner, forcefully grabbed her by the shoulders, and said, “Let’s get a drink and do something!”
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Another alleged incident happened a few years after that. It involved Brough running his hand down a colleague’s bare leg during a happy hour event. While caressing her skirt line, Brough asked if he could go back to the accuser’s house.
And yet another alleged incident involved Brough putting his hand on the small of a woman’s back and promising to provide “political help” if she went back to his apartment with him.
53-year-old Brough, who is married and has two children, has denied everything and insists the allegations against him are politically motivated.
“It is unfortunate that this has become a very politically driven, weaponized process, which will have negative ramifications for not only those that are falsely accused, but for those with legitimate claims as well as,” he said in a statement.
Brough went on to say that he’s more than willing to go through whatever sensitivity training is required to prove he’s a nice guy who would never harass anyone. Then he offered an apology to “my family, friends and supporters for putting them through this unfair process.”
But the Assembly Rules Committee, as well as Brough’s Republican colleagues, didn’t buy his apology. This week, he was stripped of his committee assignments.
The Republican Party of Orange County, which initially endorsed Brough for reelection, has also revoked its support of him. And California Republican Party Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson put out a statement noting that the GOP didn’t support his bid for a fourth term.
While his political future seems all but dead, Brough’s legal troubles are only just beginning.
The California Ethics Commission recently announced it was opening an investigation into Brough for alleged misuse of campaign funds after he purportedly used $200,000 of campaign contributions to pay for his family’s personal cell phone bills, dinners at expensive restaurants, and a trip to a Boston Red Sox game.
Chrisk
Admit it. You knew the guys party affiliation before even reading the details.
Ed Hawkins
So true!
barryaksarben
guys like him hate gays because they want to keep sex as transactional as possible so they cant do horrible things like he has
sillyme
It’s seeming the GOP and Dem parties are both out for blood on each other and anyone in power just so everyone can I hope have peace without having to pay for something with their bodies after all and I say go for it you blood suckers just leave the rest of us out of your duel with each other. And don’t subject everyone to your petty rantings and lies so you can feel better.
Chrisk
Are we back to the both parties are the same argument. Really?
dougie
Let’s see. . . the story states that the Republican Party was going after him. Didn’t mention Democrats at all. So, no, your statement about both parties “out for blood on each other” doesn’t fit.