Ivey-Soto should resign from state Senate
A year ago, a leaked report showed credible evidence that New Mexico state Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto sexually harassed and abused nine women — as witnessed by dozens of people also named in the report.
Yet Ivey-Soto (D-Albuquerque) remains in a position of power. He has used local media to engage in a form of abuse known as “DARVO” — Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender. He even compared his victims’ calls for accountability to Donald Trump’s election denialism.
As survivors of sexual violence who work in politics, we are not surprised. Political work environments can be distinct from other work settings in a number of ways, including informal settings with no human resources departments, where abuse often takes place without witnesses present at the time of reported incidents. Due to these challenges, the Survivors’ Agenda coalition, which is made up of dozens of national and state organizations, created a blueprint for how state legislatures like New Mexico could fairly investigate sexual abuse allegations without allowing the accused like Ivey-Soto to weaponize or politicize the claims.
Our Fair Process Principles were vetted over three years with extensive input from multiracial, multiethnic, and multidisciplinary employment attorneys, direct service providers, survivor advocates, policy experts, political candidate organizations, and socially minded investors interested. All are committed to rooting out sexual violence in politics.
Portions of the Fair Process Principles were published in The Washington Post on the eve of an investigation launched by New York Attorney General Letitia James into sexual harassment allegations against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The Survivors’ Agenda worked with Attorney General James’ office to refine the processes following her office’s investigation of Cuomo.
As the allegations against Ivey-Soto are similar to what we saw in New York, we are distressed that Ivey-Soto remains in the state Legislature with so little accountability for his actions. While we applaud state legislators and advocacy groups who called on Ivey-Soto to resign from his post as chair of the powerful Senate Rules Committee, he continues to cross-examine, humiliate, and even intimidate some of the very same advocates who have accused him of harassment.
To avoid further harm, Ivey-Soto cannot continue to serve as a state senator in New Mexico. We call on the state’s Legislature and private institutions affiliated with Ivey-Soto to take action and support the survivors who have come forward by removing Ivey-Soto from panels, boards and committees; ending contracts with him; and calling on him to resign from the state Senate.
We know from experience that these actions are necessary and for the better of our institutions and democracy. By removing him from all positions of power, New Mexico can start creating more equitable work environments, a culture of consent, and set precedent for how accountability in political office happens across the country.