Multiple Women Recall Sexual Misconduct and Retaliation by Gordon Sondland

[demmiblue]

Source: Pro Publica

Three women say they faced sexual misconduct by Gordon Sondland before he was the U.S. ambassador to the European Union and at the center of the presidential impeachment inquiry. They say he retaliated against them professionally after they rejected his advances.

In one case, a potential business partner recalls that Sondland took her to tour a room in a hotel he owns, only to then grab her face and try to kiss her. After she rejected him, Sondland backtracked on investing in her business.

Another woman, a work associate at the time, says Sondland exposed himself to her during a business interaction. She also recalls falling over the back of a couch trying to get away from him. After she made her lack of interest clear, she says Sondland called her, screaming about her job performance.

A third woman, 27 years Sondland’s junior, met him to discuss a potential job. She says he pushed himself against her and kissed her. She shoved him away. She says his job help stopped.

Read more: https://www.propublica.org/article/multiple-women-recall-sexual-misconduct-and-retaliation-by-gordon-sondland?utm_content=buffer986dc&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=ProPublica+Main+

[Botany]

1. No wonder he is such good friends with Donald Trump.

Skeevy bastards!

[msongs]

2. is trump paying ppl to discredt sonland. timing is odd nt

[OhNo-Really]

3. My first thought, too. Discredit the messenger.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. No. Read the article. They came forward because of his testimony.

This fall, Vogel was driving to work, listening to NPR, when she heard “Morning Edition” co-host Rachel Martin detailing Sondland’s involvement in the impeachment inquiry.

“Was there a quid pro quo?” Martin asked. “And did Sondland make it happen?”

Vogel started to cry in her car.

“I’m somebody who has sort of laughed it off and rolled my eyes and said, ‘What a jerk,’ all these years, and suddenly I’m crying in my car?” she says. “What the hell? That doesn’t sound like me.” She recalls thinking at that moment about the transactional nature of Sondland’s Ukraine mission and saw it as a painful reminder of her own experience.

“The fact that [Sondland] uses his power to terrorize people who he perceives as having less power is really disgusting,” Sept says. “I want other women to feel comfortable to share their stories, and be believed.”

“I would hate to see anybody else go through it. This runs so far beyond just a little groping. It affects how I do business. And who I can do business with,” says Solis. So if talking “is the right thing to do, then that’s what I’m going to do.”

[moonscape]

5. On the side of credibility for me is that

the women did not remain anonymous, they told others at the time, and that it was in ProPublica.

That’s before getting to a biased personal read on him which means nothing globally but makes it tough for me to be skeptical.

[LiberalLovinLug]

6. My thoughts as well

They will use whatever dirt they can. Make no mistake, they wouldn't have cared one wit, even laughed about it behind closed doors, if he had not betrayed them. And no, they probably don't have to make anything up.
This was the kompromat they had on Sondland. I don't know if Sondland knew they had it, or was just arrogant and rich enough to think it wouldn't affect him. Either way its an intimidation factor for any future witnesses.

I can see Nunes or someone else doing the rounds now. the Sondland discredit media tour.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. Do we believe women who complain of sexual harassment only when it's politically expedient?

These women are credible because they came forward under their own names, their accounts are in a neutral publication, and they described the incidents to others at the time they happened.

[LiberalLovinLug]

10. I have no arguement that these women are telling the truth.

I just wouldn't be surprised that some Republicans knew about these instances already. And that, behind the scenes, they went from discouraging and/or intimidating the women from reporting him, and now are pushing them to go public.

[progressoid]

13. Discredit? You'd think trump would be praising his actions...

considering trump's history with women.

[truthisfreedom]

8. How does this discredit his testimony?

Just because he’s a total slime doesn’t mean he is lying about 45.

[LiberalLovinLug]

11. Exactly

Especially appallingly ironic that a man accused of sexual assault by 3 women, is discredited from witnessing against a man accused of sexual assault by 20 women.

[NotHardly]

9. Rich or poor, sexists pricks are sexist entitled pricks ...

[Faux pas]

12. Predators

stick together like slime.

[TexasBushwhacker]

14. Well, he looks like a dick