The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Looney, other Dems call for Esty to step down
But fellow members of state delegation stop short of urging resignation
State Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney, on Saturday became the latest and highestprofile member of U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty’s own party to call for her resignation, following reports of her involvement in enabling and ignoring a toxic workplace.
“Congresswoman Esty has long been a conscientious leader in the fight against harassment and abuse in the workplace,” Looney, a New Haven Democrat, said in a statement. “However, I agree with Senator (Mae) Flexer that if the facts of this matter involving former staff of the congresswoman’s office are as they are alleged to be in recent news articles then Congresswoman Esty should do the right thing and resign.”
The other six members of Connecticut’s congressional delegation — all Democrats — have so far stopped short of calling for Esty to step down. But her support among party members in the Legislature and elsewhere in Connecticut appears to be eroding since stories broke last week alleging that her former chief of staff was abusive toward another of her employees.
Esty later admitted she had not adequately protected Anna Kain, who alleged that Tony Baker punched, harassed and threatened to kill her.
‘The congresswoman failed’
Esty fired Baker in 2016, but gave him a $5,000
severance and a positive job recommendation through which he found a new job in Ohio working for Sandy Hook Promise, a nonprofit dedicated to lessening gun violence, particularly in schools. Sandy Hook Promise said last week that Baker no longer works there.
“First and foremost, let me say to this survivor that I am so sorry,” Esty in a news release on Friday. “I am sorry that this incident in my office hurt (Kain), her friends and family, and many of my present and former staffers.”
Esty also said she had personally paid back the $5,000 severance check, and she would not leave her job.
But her statement, in which she also said she was “inspired” by Kain’s courage, has not been enough for some.
Republicans were quick to call for Esty’s resignation. On Friday, Manny Santos, a former Republican mayor of Meriden and her presumptive opponent in November’s election, said, “There are two people that share the blame in this tragedy: Tony Baker, the abuser, and Elizabeth Esty, the boss.”
On Saturday, some Democrats joined the call for Esty to step down. Flexer, D-Danielson, a state senator who represents a district in the state’s northeast corner, was one of the first.
“It was devastating to learn about the situation in Rep. Esty’s office that has recently come to light,” Flexer said. “The congresswoman failed her staff on every level when she decided to protect an alleged abuser instead of them. It’s completely unacceptable . ... We must expect more from our elected officials.
“We must set the example. No employer should allow this conduct,” she said. “Her failure to do the right thing here hurt us all, especially as more and more women are courageous coming forward. It’s time for Rep. Esty to step aside.”
Susan Bysiewicz, a Democratic candidate for governor who formerly served as secretary of the state and, before that, in the state House, also said Esty should resign.
“Her actions put more subordinate employees in peril, and undermined public trust in our government,” Bysiewicz said in a statement. “I know Congresswoman Esty to be a woman of action rather than words, and in this case, words are not enough. I believe that under the circumstances, Congresswoman Esty must step down from her position.”
Support from some
Chris Mattei, a former assistant U.S. attorney and Democratic candidate for state attorney general, also said Esty should go.
“There is no question that Congresswoman Esty’s response fell far below what should be demanded of a person in a position of public authority,” the Hartford resident posted on Twitter. “I spoke with Congresswoman Esty today. I respect her record, her service and her effort to be transparent once this matter came to light. But, I believe her conduct was unacceptable and not befitting a member of Congress. She should resign.”
Outside of political circles, constituents in the New Milford area — the heart of the state’s 5th Congressional District — had little to say on Saturday about the scandal. Many people who were out enjoying the first true spring weekend of the year said they hadn’t heard about the accusations against Esty or her former chief of staff.
While that might be good news for Esty, she still faced a torrent of criticism, particularly on social media.
On Twitter, the state Republican Party blasted state Democrats for their general silence on the issue.
State Rep. Bill Buckbee, R-New Milford, strayed from his party’s view though, saying he has worked with Esty on several issues and will not demand her resignation unless further information surfaces.
“I’m tired of seeing politics get tied up in this accusatory culture,” Buckbee said. “It’s such a tough thing because we don’t have all the details. I’m not going to demand her resignation, but I do want an investigation.”
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who like Esty lives in Cheshire, said he was disappointed in her actions. But he didn’t join the call for her to step down.
“This clearly wasn’t handled the way it should have been,” Murphy said. “I talked to Elizabeth, and I’m glad she acknowledges this. Nobody working in a congressional office or any other setting should feel afraid to come to work. Protecting victims of workplace harassment needs to come first, and the rules of Congress need to change to ensure that happens.”
Nan M. Birdwhistell, a New Haven lawyer who succeeded Esty as the president of a board of women dedicated to electing prochoice candidates to office in Connecticut, defended Esty as a person of “strong moral character who has always tried to do the right thing.”
“Elizabeth’s whole life has been as a dedicated fighter for the rights of women,” Birdwhistell said. “She is a superior public servant, and an exceptionally effective legislator, working across the aisle whether in Hartford or Washington.”