Sen. Bob Packwood was an Oregon senator who presented himself as a Republican feminist supporting abortion access and being on the correct side of the cultural issues, favoring ENDA and opposing anti-gay ballot measures. Meanwhile he repeatedly sexually harassed and sometimes groped and assaulted women. Even after all these years, the detail of him standing on women’s toes to keep them from stepping away while he forcibly kissed them remains vivid.
This was known before his final election in 1992, the state’s major newspaper, The Oregonian, knew about the allegations and had confirmed most of them, but chose to cover it up until after the election because they endorsed him rather than the Democratic candidate Les AuCoin. The Washington Post released the story a few weeks after the election. He resigned in 1995 after three years of ethics probes and controversy. He was replaced by Sen. Ron Wyden.
- New York Daily News: Sleazy Sen. Packwood resigns after years of sexual misconduct
- NPR: When Bob Packwood was nearly expelled from the Senate for sexual misconduct
- The Oregonian: The Women Bob Packwood Preyed on
2 Dec 1992