As former staff share GOP sexual harassment allegations, Jennifer Carnahan says they’re here to have it

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MNEditor21, Wikimedia Commons

Several other Republicans in Minnesota have shared experiences of harassment they say they have suffered within the party as pressure increases on President Jennifer Carnahan, who faces calls to resign.

On Tuesday, Carnahan gave two radio interviews in which she touched on some of the issues that rocked her party this week, starting with indicting the GOP donor and his friend Anton Lazzaro with child sex trafficking, and by pursuing allegations of harassment within the GOP. and by Carnahan herself, and the alleged award of money to employees in exchange for signing non-disclosure agreements.

Speaking to WCCO, Carnahan denied claims she ignored harassment complaints, describing the allegations as stories of disgruntled former staff or people apparently with axes to treat her personally.

She also maintains that those calling for her resignation are trying to question the presidential race.

“Our party has absolutely followed the law, state and federal, and HR processes, and our human resources manual, and our personnel policies with our whole committee exactly as we’re supposed to.

“You know, just because someone who maybe doesn’t like me personally, or someone unhappy with my past for some reason wants to come out and say something, that doesn’t make that true.

“And I don’t feel comfortable living in a world where just because someone said something makes it true. I could go out and say something tomorrow… about any person. and say, well, I heard that about you… I’m going to put it on Twitter, and that makes it true. I think we’re going down a very dangerous path. “

Carnahan called on the Minnesota GOP executive council to hold a vote of confidence in his leadership when they meet on Thursday, and said she did not think a vote would be passed. If she were to be ousted from her leadership role, “I will honor and respect their decision,” she said.

Yet following the interview, two more prominent young Republicans came forward to share their experiences of harassment within the party, both critical of Carnahan’s role in what they went through.

Republicans share their experiences of harassment

Among those who have filed harassment complaints are Nia Moore, president of the Republicans at Minnesota College, and former MCR president Karly Hahn.

Moore said she had “personally been the victim of several counts of sexual harassment within the MNGOP”.

Among these were someone she described as one of Carnahan’s “closest”, Moore noting that Carnahan was someone she had admired before. This person, whom she did not name, allegedly told Moore that she “needed people like him” to gain access to Carnahan and made “physically inappropriate advances” to him while intoxicated.

She also said she suffered “months” of sexual harassment from a married campaign staff member who was “cheeky and consistent with inappropriate comments / touches.”

While she doesn’t blame Carnahan for the fact that the harassment happened (“less than two years ago I admired Jennifer Carnahan, I never wanted to be her enemy), she goes on to say: “However, I don’t see young conservatives women feeling safe to enter our political party with her as leader.

“His response to recent allegations of sex trafficking [against Anton Lazzaro] were disappointing. From my understanding (not sure), she had never launched an internal investigation into previous accusations, “she added.

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Republicans at Minnesota College called for Carnahan’s resignation, issuing a statement Sunday that one of its members was among “several young women” being harassed by a GOP employee, charges against which materialized on Friday.

“It has come to our attention that MGOP President Jennifer Carnahan was made aware of this incident, but took no action. This likely set a precedent for how she would respond to future allegations made to the within the party, “the statement said.

The statement continues to indicate that the same former employee was subsequently charged with rape and alleges that Carnahan “maintained a public friendship with the former employee”.

“Since our statement was released,” Moore continued in her statement, “I have spoken to many MNCRs (Minnesota College Republicans)… who have similar and more serious histories.

“Although I also share fears of retaliation, I cannot in good conscience [sic] as a leader for women, be silent. “

Related: GOP Statement On Alleged Sexual Harassment Sparks New Controversy For Jennifer Carnahan

Hahn released her statement Tuesday night, saying she had “hesitated for years” to come forward for fear of “what Jennifer would do to me.”

She says that midway through her first term as MCR President, “it was brought to my attention that President Carnahan was sending horrific allegations about me, supported by false accusations that I was keeping an account. Twitter slanderous about her “.

Hahn says she found out who was managing the Twitter account, deleted it, and received a written apology from the actor to prove Carnahan it wasn’t her.

“She will probably try to deny this, but I have the documentation of the emails, the apology and a voice recording of her acknowledging the apology,” she continues, but claims the false allegations about her continued nonetheless, and she left Minnesota afterward as a result, to pursue a career elsewhere.

“It’s disheartening to see what she’s done to our party,” Hahn said. “She’s not a leader. She’s a self-interested bully.”

Francesca Zeller, former political director of the Minnesota GOP, also told the Minnesota Reformer that Carnahan had introduced her as gay to other party activists, officials and donors.

Her gender identity, she says, has been used to emphasize the party’s inclusiveness with more progressive Republicans, and she has been subjected to hostility from anti-LGBTQ elements in the party.

More than a week after George Floyd’s death, Zeller slammed Carnahan on Twitter for not posting an official statement and shared Instagram photos of Carnahan showing her by a swimming pool in Arizona. In response, she says she received a cease and desist letter from Carnahan’s lawyers.

You can read the full article here.

Bring Me The News asked the Minnesota GOP about Zeller’s allegations and received this response: “The Minnesota Republican Party does not comment on human resources issues. The Party is convinced that all state and federal laws and regulations regarding employment, human resources have been properly observed. “

BMTN has contacted the GOP for a response to Moore and Hahn’s allegations.

Carnahan apologizes to husband with cancer for comments ‘not going to be alive’

Another development that raised eyebrows in the days following Lazzaro’s indictment was an audio file shared on Twitter by former party activist Rebecca Brannon, in which a woman Brannon identifies as Carnahan talks about her husband, 1st district representative Jim Hagedorn, who has been battling cancer.

The recording of a telephone conversation sees Carnahan referring to her husband in a somewhat contemptuous tone, telling the person she is speaking to, “Jim is going to be, he is going to die of cancer in two years” and now.”

Asked about it during radio interviews, Carnahan confirmed that the voice was hers and said she apologized to her husband.

“I was at an event. I had a long day, a meeting, you know, I went out to socialize, drink wine and so on with friends. And I, you know, I said something. sad thing I shouldn’t have said, and it’s absolutely unfortunate. I’m horrified by this. Obviously I apologized to my husband. I love him very much. And I will continue to be by his side. and be his biggest supporter and cheerleader, because what I found out is that you have to stand by your side and together support the people who are struggling to get to stage four cancer. to do it for him. So I’m horrified by that. “

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