San Diego Mayor Filner, also referred to as ‘Filthy Filner’ by his alleged victims, told KUSI yesterday that he is just a “hugger.” The remarks came following a press conference held by former councilwoman Donna Frye and attorneys Corey Briggs and Marco Gonzalez revealing salacious and disturbing details of alleged sexual harassment of subordinates and constituents.
Little mention was made about “hugging” in the press conference by those representing the Mayor’s alleged victims, but rather we learned about the “Filner Headlock” and the “Filner Dance”–moves that describe attempts to escape the “attention” of the Mayor. Further descriptions of the Mayor’s actions included grabbing someone’s ass, shoving a tongue down someone’s throat and slipping his hands into someone’s bra.
A letter was circulated around the media, detailing other sexual harassment, presumably from alleged victims in DC where Filner spent 20 years as a Congressman, prior to his election as Mayor last November.
Last night the San Diego Union Tribune ran an op-ed by Filner entitled “Why I Won’t Resign.” Filner wrote:
“I have acknowledged that at times I have treated the people with whom I work poorly. I am impatient and demanding. My aggressive style of fighting for the underdog has allowed me to be successful in the past. As a Congressman, my “rattle-the-cages” approach helped me champion many causes — from support for our returning veterans to pay equity in our workforce.”
Filner stated he is entitled to due process and “the opportunity to respond in a fair and impartial venue to specific allegations from real people.” The Mayor also wrote that he was not guilty of sexual harassment and “a full presentation of the facts will vindicate me.”
Two area congressional reps called for Filner to resign yesterday. Reps. Scott Peters and Susan Davis both contacted Filner saying it was time for him to step down.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.