Published
4 years agoon
Former policeman Larry Wallace hitched his wagon to a politician on the fast track when he went to work for Kamala Harris.
“Wallace frequently asked Hartley to put paper in the printer while he was sitting at his desk or in front of other male executives from the division, according to the lawsuit,” The Bee reported.
After she complained, the suit alleges Wallace also took away Hartley’s “meaningful tasks” and forced her to run personal errands for himself and his family, including washing his car. Later, after making a formal complaint, she experienced retaliation, the suit continued.
A few months after Hartley’s suit was filed, Harris’ successor as attorney general, Xavier Becerra, settled it with a $400,000 payment that included a prohibition against her disclosing her allegations, talking to the media, or ever applying for another job at the state Justice Department.
When The Bee asked Harris’ office about the suit and the settlement, Wallace immediately resigned and spokeswoman Lily Adams said Harris was unaware of either. Later, Harris told The Bee that “I’m frustrated that I wasn’t briefed,” adding, “There’s no question I should have been informed of this.”
It seems incredible that Harris would have been kept in the dark about a harassment allegation against one of her closest aides, and the secret payoff that made it go away.
That’s especially true since Harris has made sexual harassment a touchstone in preparing for a presidential run, pounding U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing about allegations that as a high school student he had assaulted one of his classmates.
Dan Walters has been a journalist for nearly 60 years, spending all but a few of those years working for California newspapers. He has written more than 9,000 columns about the state and its politics and is the founding editor of the “California Political Almanac.” Dan has also been a frequent guest on national television news shows, commenting on California issues and policies.
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