US female congressional candidate quit after allegations of sexually harassing male subordinate
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NEW YORK: As sexual-harassment accusations by women against powerful men “sometimes several per day” pour in, a female congressional candidate in the state of Kansas Friday became the first to be accused of wrongdoing, according to American media reports.
Andrea Ramsey, a Democrats, who was running to unseat Republican Kevin Yonder, dropped out the race after the Kansas City Star, a prominent newspaper, asked her about accusations in a 2005 lawsuit that she sexually harassed and retaliated against a male subordinate who said he had rejected her advances.
Ms. Ramsey denied the allegation by what she called a frustrated male worker.
“The Democratic Party has implemented a zero tolerance standard,” she said in the statement. “For me, that means a vindictive, terminated employee’s false allegations are enough for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) to decide not to support our promising campaign. We are in a national moment where rough justice stands in place of careful analysis, nuance and due process.”
The party’s Communications Director Meredith Kelly responded via in a statement, saying that “members and candidates must all be held to the highest standard.”
“If anyone is guilty of sexual harassment or sexual assault, that person should not hold public office,” Kelly said.