In a video posted online, representative Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) alleged a culture of sexual harassment and assault on Capitol Hill, saying she was inspired to speak out by the #MeToo movement.
In Speier's video, she claims a chief of staff grabbed her and "kissed me and stuck his tongue in my mouth" while she worked as a congressional staffer in her 20s.
I'm sharing my #MeToo story in the hope that others in Congress do the same. ⚡️ “It's Time For #MeTooCongress”https://t.co/v46AXXDioi
— Jackie Speier (@RepSpeier) October 27, 2017
Speier later told ABC News she was referring was Joe Holsinger, the chief of staff for former Rep. Leo Ryan, D-Calif. Holsinger was about 50 at the time the assault took place, while Speier was in her mid-20s.
“Many of us in Congress know what it’s like because Congress has been a breeding ground for a hostile work environment for far too long..I know what it’s like to keep these things hidden deep down inside,” Speier says in a video posted on social media this week.
The congresswoman has launched a #MeTooCongress campaign in an effort to weed out alleged sexual misconduct on Capitol Hill and invite other women to come forward with their stories.
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