Campaign Action
CNN has new details on the unprofessional and unacceptable behavior of Republican Rep. Blake Farenthold (TX-27). His behavior was so vulgar and abusive, one employee sought treatment for emotional distress after Farenthold's lewd comments to him as he was leaving for his wedding:
One comment from the congressman was especially personal. Rekola was about to leave town to get married in July 2015, when, he said, Farenthold, standing within earshot of other staffers in his Capitol Hill office, said to the groom-to-be: "Better have your fiancée blow you before she walks down the aisle -- it will be the last time." He then proceeded to joke about whether Rekola's now-wife could wear white on her wedding day -- a clear reference, Rekola said, to whether she had had premarital sex.
He was verbally abusive to the entire staff:
Those crude remarks in the summer of 2015 marked just one of many instances in which Farenthold made sexually charged comments to or in the presence of aides, Rekola said. During the nine months that he worked for the congressman, Rekola said, he was also subject to a stream of angry behavior not sexual in nature -- screaming fits of rage, slamming fists on desks and castigating aides, including regularly calling them "f**ktards."
He was already facing an ethics investigation about his behavior after it was revealed he paid an $84,000 sexual harassment settlement to a former spokesperson. Rep. Farenthold has announced that he will not seek re-election in 2018, but that is simply not good enough. Senior Political Correspondent David Drucker has confirmed that Speaker Paul Ryan asked Farenthold to retire, but they are not insisting that he resign. This is bogus! Rep. Farenthold’s behavior is not worthy of the United States Congress and he does not deserve the privilege of being a U.S. congressman for one minute longer.
Contact Rep. Blake Farenthold and Speaker Paul Ryan to tell him another year in the U.S. Congress is not an option. Farenthold needs to resign immediately.
Rep. Farenthold’s D.C. office
Phone: (202) 225-7742
Rep. Farenthold’s Corpus Christi office
Phone: (361) 884-2222
Speaker Paul Ryan’s D.C. office
Phone: (202) 225-0600
It’s time for this guy to go.