Leader defends handling of sexual assault claims

LONDON — Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Wednesday strongly denied being part of a plot against her predecessor, as she testified under oath Wednesday in a political saga that is threatening both her leadership and her push for Scottish independence.

Sturgeon defended the way her government handled sexual assault claims against former First Minister Alex Salmond, saying the #MeToo movement had made it clear that abuse allegations about powerful people must not be “ignored or swept under the carpet.”

Sturgeon was giving her side of the story to a committee of lawmakers probing a political and personal feud that is wracking Scotland’s proindependence movement and the governing Scottish National Party. Its antagonists are Salmond and Sturgeon, two former allies and friends who have dominated Scottish politics for decades.

Salmond was tried and acquitted last year on sexual assault charges, and claims the misconduct allegations brought by several women were part of a conspiracy to wreck his political career.

He accuses Sturgeon of lying about when she learned of the allegations and breaking the code of conduct for government ministers.

Scotland’s highest civil court ruled in 2019 that the way the Scottish government had handled the misconduct allegations was unlawful and “tainted by apparent bias,” and awarded Salmond $695,000 in expenses.

Sturgeon told a Scottish Parliament inquiry into the handling of the complaints that no one had “acted with malice or as part of a plot against Alex Salmond.”

“A number of women made serious complaints about Alex Salmond’s behavior,” she said. “The government, despite the mistakes it undoubtedly made, tried to do the right thing. As first minister I refused to follow the ageold pattern of allowing a powerful man to use his status and connections to get what he wants.”

Sturgeon defended not reporting to civil servants a meeting and a call with Salmond in 2018 about the complaints, saying it was because she did not want to influence the investigation. She denied leaking the complainants’ names, and said she refused a request by Salmond to intervene on his behalf.