Sarah Palin (R) on Thursday condemned sexual harassment in the workplace, adding that she has not personally experienced it because people know she carries a weapon.
Sarah Palin (R) on Thursday condemned sexual harassment in the workplace, adding that she has not personally experienced it because people know she carries a weapon.
An MSNBC reporter stopped the former Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential candidate in the Capitol, where she was meeting with Sen. Rand Paul Randal (Rand) Howard PaulGOP senator asks to be taken off Moore fundraising appeals Red state lawmakers find blue state piggy bank Prosecutors tell Paul to expect federal charges against attacker: report MORE (R-Ky).
„I think a whole lot of people know I’m probably packing so I don’t think there’s a whole lot of people who would necessarily mess with me,” Palin said.
“I don’t mean to be lighthearted, this is a serious issue,” Palin continued. “It really stinks for women in the workplace that for too long, men have thought they can get away with that old-school thinking that it’s okay to belittle and harass women.”
Palin’s comments come just hours after Sen. Al Franken Alan (Al) Stuart FrankenOvernight Tech: Senate panel subpoenaed ex-Yahoo chief| Twitter gives all users 280 characters| FBI can’t access Texas shooter’s phone| EU wants tax answers from Apple Week ahead: DHS nominee heads before Senate| Ex-Yahoo chief to testify on hack| Senators dig into election security Feinstein: Sessions should re-testify on Russia meetings MORE (D-Minn.) was accused of sexually harassing radio anchor Leeann Tweeden in 2006.
Franken is the first sitting senator to be accused of sexual harassment, but discussion of similar incidents have been ramping up in Hollywood, the political world and other industries.
Two female lawmakers introduced legislation this week to overhaul Congressional policies that deal with sexual harassment and assault, and several lawmakers have come forward with stories of being harassed on Capitol Hill.
“It’s not a partisan issue,” Palin said Thursday. “When we see this happening today, I think it leads to a lot of questions about what standards are going to be applied to whom.”
Multiple lawmakers from both parties, including Franken himself, called Thursday for an ethics investigation into his behavior.
Palin warned that as sexual harassment accusations mount, people should be wary of potentially false allegations.
“The floodgates are really open right now,” she said. “That could lead to a lot of false accusations that really harm an innocent person.”
