GOP Rep. Tom Reed accused of sexual misconduct
By Cristina Marcos - 03/19/21 02:34 PM EDT A former lobbyist has accused Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) of sexually harassing her in 2017, The Washington Post reported Friday.
Nicolette Davis, now an Army second lieutenant, told the Post that Reed drunkenly rubbed her back and thigh and unhooked her bra at an Irish pub in Minnesota after a day of ice fishing while she was working as a junior insurance company lobbyist.
The allegations come as Reed, a co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, is considering a run against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), who is facing calls to resign from both parties after multiple women accused him of sexual harassment.
Davis contacted the Post on Feb. 11 — before Reed said in a Fox News interview that he was considering a gubernatorial run — and said that her decision to go public with the allegations wasn't motivated by the New York Republican's political ambitions.
Davis said that the interaction with Reed was part of a weekend trip in January 2017 to benefit the campaign committee of then-Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-Minn.). Davis said that Reed appeared intoxicated and at one point slipped and fell on the ice.
Davis said that Reed began touching her while seated next to her at the Irish pub. She felt uncomfortable confronting Reed and asked the person sitting to her right for help. That person pulled Reed away and out of the restaurant, Davis recalled.
“I was also angry,†Davis told the Post. “I had wanted to go on this trip so badly but at that time, it didn’t matter that I had been working hard or that I had a master’s degree. All that mattered was that I was a warm female body.â€
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https://thehill.com/homenews/house/544066-gop-rep-tom-reed-accused-of-sexual-misconduct
