Rep. Geoff Diehl (R-Whitman), who is taking on Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in 2018 for her Senate seat, challenged the progressive senator on Wednesday to return more than $10,000 she received from actor Ben Affleck, who admitted to, and later apologized for, groping actress Hilarie Burton.
The Good Will Hunting actor admitted to groping Burton on the set of MTV’s Total Request Live (TRL) in 2003.
“Like so many other Commonwealth residents, I am disappointed in what appears to be a cover-up of bad behavior in Hollywood,” Diehl said in a statement. “With the admission of Ben Affleck, I would hope that Sen. Warren would now donate his contributions. She should not be benefitting from someone who has admittedly groped a woman.”
Affleck and his ex-wife Jennifer Garner also donated to Hillary Clinton.
Harvey Weinstein has also given to the biggest names in Democratic politics, including the Democratic National Committee (DNC), former President Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton.
Last week, Warren donated funds she had received from Harvey Weinstein, who fled the country Wednesday after mounting allegations revealed his history of sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct with women.
Affleck, like several of his fellow Hollywood actors, appeared to be covering up for Weinstein when he issued statements denying knowledge of the once-Titan’s mistreatment of women.
Diehl, who served as co-chair of President Donald Trump’s campaign in Massachusetts, announced on August 1 he was running against Warren.
In an interview with the Associated Press before he announced his candidacy from his hometown of Whitman, Diehl said, “I think there’s an expectation in Massachusetts that senators and congressmen and women who go to D.C. should work for the people of Massachusetts. What we’ve had for the past four and a half years is someone who’s had her own agenda and is raising her profile to run for president in two years.”
Adelle Nazarian is a politics and national security reporter for Breitbart News. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.