Chairman Crowley, Rep. Speier Call for Investigation of Sexual Misconduct, Harassment by President Trump

Chairman Crowley, Rep. Speier Call for Investigation of Sexual Misconduct, Harassment by President Trump

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley (D-NY) and Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) urged the U.S. Office of Government Ethics to investigate credible claims of inappropriate sexual harassment committed by President Donald Trump.

At least 19 women have come forward to accuse President Trump of harassment, unwanted touching, and other sexual misconduct. However, federal authorities and Congress have yet to investigate and conduct the proper oversight.

“Credible claims of inappropriate conduct against the holder of the highest office in the nation have gone uninvestigated. Following the release of a video tape in October 2016 in which then-candidate Donald Trump admits – and brags about – making unwanted and inappropriate sexual advances toward women, numerous individuals came forward to share their own personal stories of their encounters,” wrote Crowley and Speier. “We believe public officials must set the gold standard for professional behavior, particularly those who hold the high offices of representative, senator, and – especially – president of the United States.”

Crowley and Speier both signed onto a letter from the Democratic Women’s Working Group asking House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy to investigate the credible allegations against the president. Congressman Gowdy and the panel’s Republicans have so far been unwilling to take up a probe into the president’s behavior.

The U.S. Office of Government Ethics, an independent government agency with oversight of the executive branch, is charged with establishing standard of conduct for the executive branch and issuing rules and regulations regarding potential criminal conflicts. Given this mandate, and the office’s jurisdictional authority, it is imperative that the Office of Government Ethics do its job and ensure that these women are finally taken seriously and heard.

Read the full text here.