In an exclusive interview with Breitbart News, attorney Gloria Allred responded to claims by Rush Limbaugh on Wednesday that she had only taken a “perfunctory” interest in allegations of sexual harassment against Bob Filner, the Democratic mayor of San Diego.
“I’ve held two major national news conferences. I’ve taken three women to sheriff’s investigations–and that number may change,” Allred said. “More came out since [Filner’s former communications director] Irene McCormack Jackson inspired other women to come forward. That only happened after we did it, my client and I.”
She accused Limbaugh of trying to walk back earlier accusations that she had done “nothing” about the Filner case, after she responded Tuesday with a strongly-worded open letter to the radio host calling for him to apologize.
Breitbart News caught up with Allred unexpectedly in the café car on Wednesday’s late evening train from Los Angeles to San Diego aboard the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner. Allred had emerged briefly from her seat in business class, where she had been working into the night on her laptop on the Filner case.
Earlier in the day, Limbaugh had accused Allred of downplaying the case “because there’s a Democrat involved.”
“Now, in fairness to Gloria Allred, she does represent two of Filner’s accusers, but she has been doing it in a perfunctory way,” he told listeners to his national radio program.
“She’s not on national TV every day ripping into Filner. She’s not on national TV every day talking about what a reprobate Filner is and how unfortunate it has been for her clients and all the hell and trouble her clients have been put through. She’s not doing all that.”
Allred fired back on Wednesday evening.
“It’s rather pathetic backtracking on his part,” she said.
“The truth didn’t fit his political agenda, which is to blame the feminists and the Democrats. That doesn’t apply to me. I have also criticized Democrats. I held a press conference in 2011 on behalf of Ginger Lee against Anthony Weiner, and Weiner resigned the next day.
“I’m non-partisan, if they’ve hurt a woman,” she declared.
Allred also cited several Democratic politicians and women’s groups who had come forward to call on Filner to resign. On Sunday afternoon, Aug. 18, she will headline a march on City Hall in San Diego organized by several local women’s organizations under the banner, “Freedom from Filner.”
Limbaugh also suggested Wednesday that Allred had only adopted a more aggressive public stance against Filner following his public criticism.
“Now she’s starting to stir, however. I wonder why?” he asked.
Allred dismissed that notion on Wednesday evening.
“I need Rush Limbaugh to motivate me?” she asked.
Allred indicated that she would be revealing new information about the Filner case on Thursday but declined to elaborate. She had no comment when asked about possible new accusers.