When #MeToo hits home
It is one thing to see prominent men accused of sexual harassment and predatory behavior from afar. It is another to see someone many people in Santa Fe and the region know and like being scrutinized. But the #MeToo movement, which is empowering women to talk about harassment and abuse, is not just a national occurrence.
We saw that when state Democratic Sen. Michael Padilla left the lieutenant governor’s race because of harassment charges in his past, and we are watching another lawmaker — this time, Democratic Rep. Carl Trujillo — under fire. He has been accused by one woman publicly and another anonymously of harassing them.
This, as Trujillo is running for re-election in an already heated Democratic primary race. His opponent is Andrea Romero, a candidate who has had her own problems — questions about whether money was spent improperly when she was director of the Regional Coalition of LANL Communities.
The charges against Trujillo came via a letter from animal rights advocate Laura Bonar, who works for Animal Protection Voters. She claims that Trujillo made inappropriate remarks, touched her and eventually propositioned her, retaliating when she turned him down. The two were working on bills her group supported during the 2013 and 2014 legislative sessions. She is coming forward, she said, at a time when complaints are being heard, writing that, “I have been encouraged by the Legislature’s recent passage of a formal Anti-Harassment Policy — which includes an anti-retaliation clause, in implicit recognition of the reality that all victims face — and I am convinced that the time is right to speak my mind.”
And that’s our focus today. We are in a time when people are being heard. We don’t know what Trujillo did. The legislator has denied the charges strongly on Facebook and through an email to constituents, saying, “These charges are lies.” He calls the account politically motivated and is furious, saying, “We live in an age where anybody can say anything without proof and be believed.”
Of course, Trujillo knows and we know that it is not that simple. His accuser is a credible person, with an organization that is backing her complaint even though Trujillo was their ally on animal protection legislation even through the 2018 session. He has a 100 percent voter rating from the group. Another woman, requesting anonymity, has chimed in, saying she was touched inappropriately. As legislative leaders said in a statement, “These allegations are serious and deeply troubling.”
What we also know, though, is this. The Legislature has put in place a process to examine the accusation and will bring in an independent counsel to guide legislators going forward. The speaker, majority leader and minority leader will meet with an outside lawyer to decide how to proceed. This is a test case, in many respects, and shows how much a tough policy has been needed.
Bonar’s request? She wants Trujillo to resign and to leave the race, saying bluntly: “You tried to sexually exploit me when I needed your help. You abused your power as a legislator, and with it the trust of your constituents. The people of your district and everyone in this state deserve better.”
This is one election when early voting is not a good idea. District 46 constituents — many of whom like and trust Trujillo for his work on their behalf — will have to wait to see how the investigation shakes out. Trujillo has a right to defend himself and should be afford that opportunity. Bonar should be heard. An investigation of these claims, with conclusions drawn, needs to end before the June primary.
#MeToo is hitting home.