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Author: Cajsa Lilliehook

239: Angela Wozniak

Retaliation, Sexual Harassment
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Angela Wozniak was elected to the New York Assembly, replacing Dennis Gabryszak, a Democrat who was accused of sexual harassment. She promised change. However, she was similarly accused less than a year into her term. Elias Farah worked for her. They had a consensual affair, but when he wanted to end it, she coerced into continuing, he claimed. She then banned him from working in the district office and Wozniak disparaged him.

“The ethics committee unanimously agrees that Assembly Member Wozniak retaliated against her director of legislation by tarnishing his reputation to the person who had recommended him, and through her counsel identifying him by name to the press as the complaining party, as well as making other statements to the press that are reasonably likely to harm the director of legislation’s reputation in express violation of the ethics committee’s explicit notice to refrain from any breach of confidentiality,” the ethics committee wrote.
Politico: Wozniak admonished over affair with staffer

238: Greg Ball

Sexual Harassment
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Greg Ball was a New York state senator. He was accused in 2016 of banging a woman’s head against a post while trying to force her to perform oral sex. The woman held back from reporting for several months, claiming she feared Ball and was too embarrassed. A few days after she gave the report she said she did not want to press charges.

The police report gives a full, and frightening account of her experience. Ball has retained an attorney to threaten her. He called it politically motivated, but it was never made public during the election.

He has a history. An ex-girlfriend took out an order of protection when they broke up. Another woman claimed he groped her. A woman wrote a letter accusing him of sexual harassment, but that accusation was found to be not credible.

236: Mathew Wollman

Sexual Misconduct
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Mathew Wollman represented the 8th district of South Dakota in the state legislature. He was confronted by reporters about having sexual relationships with two college-aged interns. They were adults and the relationships were legal, but they were decidedly unethical. The legislature formed a committee to determine how to punish him, but instead he resigned although he believed he did nothing wrong.

Ironically, a legislative committee voted down a proposal to prohibit relationships with interns and pages. His fiancée was a high school intern though Wollman said their relationship began a year after her high school internship ended.

Wollman now works as a police officer in Madison.

235: Walter S. Smith

Sexual Harassment, Sexual Misconduct
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Walter S. Smith was a federal judge in Waco, Texas. He was appointed by Ronald Reagan and served 32 years before resigning to evade accountability. While he didn’t run into trouble until 2015, he sexually harassed and groped a woman in 1998 and it was her complaint that was featured, though there were several complaints. This is not unusual, in a study by CNN found less than 1% of complaints were referred to a special committee for investigation. In her case, a lawyer filed a complaint and raised a stink.

In 2017, U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts created a committee to investigate sexual harassment in the federal judiciary. In 2015, Smith had been reprimanded for sexual harassment, ordered him to attended sexual harassment training, and told him he could not hear any new cases for a year. However, a federal judicial conduct committee told the 5th Circuit they need to investigate again because it was alleged this was a pattern of behavior. As soon as that happened, he resigned, which saved his pension and ended the investigation.

234: Paul Bailey

Custodial Negligence
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Paul Bailey was the sheriff of Berrien County. While Sheriff, ten women sued the county alleging that four deputies had sexually assaulted them, demanding sexual favors for money or other benefits. When the suit became public, five more women came forward. Throughout the controversy, Bailey denied that it happened, then said that the deputies had already resigned or were fired, and took no accountability for the apparent negligent training and supervision that allowed this to happen. The County was named in the suit for failing to properly supervise, monitor, and investigate complaints.

Unfortunately, the lawsuit was dismissed because the 3-year statute of limitations had expired

233: Mike May

Sexual Harassment
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Mike May was the House Minority Leader in Colorado. In 2010, he was sued by four employees of one of the hotels he owned alleging they were sexually harassed and when they made a complaint, he retaliated against them.

One of the complainants worked the front desk. She complained to Mr. May about sexual harassment by other employees. He then invited her for a drink, told her she was doing a great job, and would be promoted. But, she declined the drink. He went on reminding her “who signs your paycheck.” When she refused to sleep with him she was denied the promotion they had discussed. May settled her lawsuit. He claims that was because his insurance company thought it was cheaper.

232: Thomas Ravenel

Rape, Sexual Assault
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Thomas Ravenel was the State Treasurer of South Carolina when he was convicted of buying cocaine to distribute. In 2008, he was sent to prison for ten months. He then went on to star in the reality TV show “Southern Charm.” He ran for the US Senate in 2014. In 2018, one woman alleged he sexually assaulted her mother but she amended her suit to withdraw that accusation. She also accused the other woman who came forward of lying.

Ravenel’s children’s nanny, accused him of sexual assault and rape. Ravenel pled guilty to 3rd degree sexual assault and was given a 30-day suspended sentence and fined $500. He also settled a civil suit with the nanny by donating to a charity for sexual assault survivors so she supported his minimal sentence. Another woman shared allegations of him flipping a switch and trying to physically intimidate her.

231: Al Harrison

Extortion, Hostile Workplace, Rape
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Al Harrison was the Gulf County Florida sheriff. He used this position as sheriff to force imprisoned women to have sex with him. That is rape. One of the women whom he raped six times also alleged he threatened her with a gun. US. Marshals took him into custody, charged with the federal crimes. He was charged with ten misdemeanor counts of violating their civil rights. Prosecutors said the charges are misdemeanors because federal law requires serious bodily injury for a civil rights violation to be a felony. Why is rape not considered a serious bodily injury?

230: Robert Bentley

Extortion, Hostile Workplace, Organizational Cover-Up, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Misconduct
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Robert Bentley was the governor of Alabama when a scandal broke about him having an affair with a married woman. While hypocritical and not nice, it is not necessarily predatory, since they were consenting adults. Except she worked for him so the relationship becomes problematic and not one of equals. In addition, he bullied his other staff who were privy to the affair as they carried on in his office. He also threatened his now ex-wife’s staff when he sent text messages to his lover that linked to his wife’s iPad to ensure she did not find out. Adding to his problems he illegally used public funds to carry on the affair and used campaign funds for personal use.