Sunday, November 12, 2017

All the King’s Men, and the Women They Preyed On


A tsunami of allegations against prominent American men has washed up on our shores in recent weeks in the wake of numerous charges leveled against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. At last count, 103 women—mostly young actresses whose future careers depended on not incurring the displeasure of Weinstein—had come forward to claim that the mogul had coerced them into bed, or at least fast-talked them into compromising situations, or had masturbated before them openly, or had stuck his unwanted tongue in their mouths, or had out and out raped them.

This follows by a few months the hung jury that had been considering three counts of aggravated indecent assault against actor Bill Cosby for his purported 2004 drugging and sexual attacks against Andrea Constand, a university basketball director of operations, in Cosby’s Pennsylvania mansion. Dozens of other women had made nearly identical accusations against Cosby through the years, but their claims could not be pursued in the courts due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.

The sight of significant numbers of women facing the news cameras in recent months accompanied by attorneys Gloria Allred and/or her daughter Lisa Bloom to accuse first Cosby and then Weinstein raised the public’s interest in sexual harassment to its highest level since 1991 when Professor Anita Hill accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of a variety of allegations of sexual harassment.

Accusations of harassment and/or outright assault by the male movers and shakers of American society became a weekly, even daily, ritual.

The torrent of allegations intensified and frequently took over the airwaves following the Cosby mistrial in June of this year even as the Harvey Weinstein accusers posted their stories like gangbusters under the rubric #metoo on social media.

The number of accusers who pointed fingers reached its greatest number with recent allegations against USA women’s gymnastics Dr. Larry Nassar—at least 130—and against writer-director James Toback—an astonishing 310 victims to date.

Then, a few days ago, the Republican nominee for a special election to fill the Alabama U.S. Senate seat of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, one Roy Moore, was rocked by sexual abuse allegations made by a young woman who had been only 14 years old when she claimed to have been pawed over and sexually manhandled (if that could possibly be the right word) in 1979 by 32-year-old Assistant District Attorney Roy Moore.

Three other women who were then between the ages of 16 and 18 have alleged that they too were courted and sexually manipulated by Moore when he was in his early thirties during or shortly after 1979. All four women were sought out and reluctantly interviewed by the Washington Post in recent weeks. None came forward voluntarily.

If additional proof is needed, let us heed the recollections of attorney Teresa Jones, who worked alongside Moore in the early 1980s as a Deputy District Attorney for Etowah County, Alabama, and who has indicated that "[i]t was common knowledge that Roy dated high school girls, everyone we knew thought it was weird. We wondered why someone his age would hang out at high school football games and the mall . . . but you really wouldn't say anything to someone like that."

Moore’s response has been to flat-out deny all four relationships, and Republican spokespeople have characterized the allegations as false. Moore has declared that he will not step away from the scheduled December 12th special election except “if [the allegations are] true.”

“If true” (or “if proven”) has become the watchword of the GOP regarding what if anything to do about the candidacy of Roy Moore—who was twice removed from an elected position as Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court and, hence, has a pretty wobbly record of integrity in public office.

Following is a catalogue of prominent men whose careers were forged in America and who pursued women in a variety of egregious ways on the job. This is by no means comprehensive, and it lacks a variety of priests, rabbis, ministers, pastors, public and prep-school teachers, union bosses, lower-level politicians, many corporate CEOs, and uncounted other male abusers. (A true list of sexual abusers would be heftier than the vaunted New York City telephone directories of old.)

The list of abusers that follows and that has been pulled out of a variety of recent media articles includes:

A President, a Supreme Court Justice, 18 politicians, a sports mogul, an Olympic gymnastics doctor, 5 news executives, hosts, and analysts, 10 movie studio heads, producers, promoters, directors, and writers, a literary critic, an editor, a singer and 12 actors, a celebrity photographer, a hotelier, and two celebrity chefs. The total number of featured sexual abusers is 56.

The Big Four include the aforesaid Harvey Weinstein (103 victims and counting), Bill Cosby (58+ victims), Dr. Larry Nassar (130+ victims), and writer-director James Toback (310+ victims).

I. President:
1. Donald J. Trump
Number of accusers: sixteen (16)
Dates of accusations: early 1980s-2013
Source: https://www.advocate.com/politics/2017/10/11/editor-lists-all-women-said-president-trump-sexually-assaulted-them; https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/a-running-list-of-all-the-women-whove-accused-donald-trump-of-sexual-assault_us_57ffae1fe4b0162c043a7212

II. Supreme Court Justice:
2. Clarence Thomas
Number of accusers: three (3)
Dates of accusations: 1980-1983
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarence_Thomas_Supreme_Court_nomination

III. Politicians:

Alabama:
3. Former State Supreme Court Judge; Republican Senatorial candidate Roy Moore
Number of accusers: four (4), including one woman who had been only 14 years old
Dates of accusations: 1970s-1980s

Florida:
4. Republican Rep. Mark Foley
Number of accusers: four (4) or more
Dates of accusations: 2001-2006
Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/29/AR2006092901574.html; https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/11/the-page-who-took-down-the-gop-mark-foley-dennis-hastert-213378

Illinois:

5. Republican Speaker of the House Rep. Dennis Hastert
Number of accusers: four (4) or more
Dates of accusations: 1960s-1970s
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/09/politics/dennis-hastert-sexual-abuse-allegations/index.html

6. Republican Rep. Daniel B. Crane
Number of accusers: one (1)
Dates of accusations: 1980
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/1983/07/15/us/ethics-panel-says-2-congressmen-had-sexual-relations-with-pages.html

Indiana:
7. Republican Rep. Mark Souder
Number of accusers: one (1)
Dates of accusations: 2004-2010
Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/18/AR2010051803059.html

Kentucky:
8. Republican House Speaker Jeff Hoover
Number of accusers: one (1)
Dates of accusations: recent
Source: https://www.rollcall.com/news/predatory-behavior-capitol-hill-sexual-harassment, https://theslot.jezebel.com/a-quick-jaunt-through-the-many-sexual-misconduct-allega-1820180125

9. Republican Rep. Brian D. Linder
Number of accusers: one (1)
Dates of accusations: recent
Source: http://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article183529171.html

Maryland:
10. Washington County Commissioner LeRoy E. Myers Jr.
Number of accusers: one (1)
Dates of accusations: 2017
Source: https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/news/local/sexual-harassment-allegation-made-against-county-commissioner-leroy-myers/article_bf9baf2c-4612-11e7-b507-cb1ef62cf8d3.html

Massachusetts:
11. Democratic Rep. Gerry E. Studds
Number of accusers: three (3)
Dates of accusations: 1973
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/1983/07/15/us/ethics-panel-says-2-congressmen-had-sexual-relations-with-pages.html

Minnesota:

12. Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) State Senator Dan Schoen
Number of accusers: multiple
Dates of accusations: 2015(?)
Source: https://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2017/11/multiple-women-accuse-minnesota-state-senator-dan-schoen-sexual-harassment

13. Republican State Representative Tony Comish
Number of accusers: three (3)
Dates of accusations: 2010(?)-2017
Source: https://latest.com/2017/11/minnesota-goper-accused-of-trapping-lobbyist-in-office-demanding-she-help-with-raging-bner/

Nevada:

14. Republican Senator John Ensign
Number of accusers: one (1)
Dates of accusations: 2009 (?)
Source: ww.nytimes.com/2011/04/22/us/politics/22ensign.html?mtrref=www.google.com&gwh=A26508F89490CA1FA64EC80C2DA01FFE&gwt=pay

15. Reno City Manager Andrew Clinger
Number of accusers: three (3)
Dates of accusations: 2011-2016
Source: http://www.rgj.com/story/news/2016/07/30/reno-city-manager-facing-allegations-sexual-harassment/87768532/

New York:

16. Democratic Rep. Eric Massa
Number of accusers: one (1)
Dates of accusations: 2008-2010
Source: https://www.politico.com/story/2010/03/rep-eric-massa-to-resign-034001

17. Democratic Rep. Frederick W. Richmond
Number of accusers: one (1)
Dates of accusations: 1978
Source: https://www.upi.com/Archives/1982/08/25/Millionaire-Congressman-Fred-Richmond-pleaded-guilty-to-tax-and/6183399096000/

North Carolina:
18. Chief of Staff (for Rep. Mark Meadows), Kenny West
Number of accusers: three (3)
Dates of accusations: 2012 (?)
Source: https://www.rollcall.com/news/predatory-behavior-capitol-hill-sexual-harassment

Ohio:
19. Republican state Sen. Cliff Hite
Number of accusers: one (1)
Dates of accusations: 2017
Source: http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2017/10/new_documents_allege_former_oh.html

Texas:
20. Republican Rep. Blake Farenthold
Number of accusers: one (1)
Dates of accusations: 2014
Source: http://www.rollcall.com/news/home/farenthold-sexual-harassment-case-settled-court

IV. Sports Mogul, Olympic Gymnastics Doctor:

21. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter
Number of accusers: one (1)
Dates of accusations: 2013

22. USA women’s gymnastics Dr. Larry Nassar
Number of accusers: one hundred thirty (130)
Dates of accusations: 1994-2016
Source: http://interactives.indystar.com/news/standing/OutofBalance/NassarTimeline/LSJ.html https://article.wn.com/view/2017/11/10/Gold_medal_gymnast_Aly_Raisman_joins_130_women_saying_the_US/

V. News Executives, Hosts, Analyst:

23. Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes
Number of accusers: at least ten (10)
Dates of accusations: 1967-2016
Source: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ailes-ugliest-legacy-is-the-10-women-who-publicly-accused-him-of-sexual-harassment_us_591da8afe4b094cdba51ba16

24. Fox News host and contributor Eric Bolling
Number of accusers: three (3)
Dates of accusations: recent
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/08/business/media/fox-news-ousts-eric-bolling-after-probe-into-lewd-text-messages.html?mtrref=www.google.com&gwh=A4A2F42C93D8BD030BCBF925FC6378F0&gwt=pay

25. NBC News political analyst Mark Halperin
Number of accusers: twelve (12) or more
Dates of accusations: 1994 to recently
Source: http://money.cnn.com/2017/10/27/media/mark-halperin-new-accusations/index.html

26. Fox News host Bill O’Reilly
Number of accusers: five (5) or more
Dates of accusations: 2002-2017
Source: http://www.newsweek.com/bill-oreilly-timeline-latest-32-million-harassment-settlement-former-fox-host-690216, https://www.amny.com/news/bill-o-reilly-sexual-harassment-scandal-explained-1.13367681

27. NPR News Chief Michael Oreskes
Number of accusers: three (3)
Dates of accusations:1990s, 2015
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/01/business/media/mike-oreskes-npr-sexual-harassment.html?mtrref=www.google.com&gwh=7B90F4ACAA25B8A3A44CBCC686284BB5&gwt=pay

VI. Movie Studio Heads, Producers, Promoters, Directors, Writers:

28. Producer & Director Gary Goddard
Number of accusers: two (2)
Dates of accusations: 1974
Source: https://medium.com/@anthonyedwards/yes-mom-there-is-something-wrong-f2bcf56434b9

29. Polish director Roman Polanski
Number of accusers: four (4)
Dates of accusations: 1972, 1973, 1977, 1984

30. Amazon Studios head/chief promoter Roy Price
Number of accusers: one (1)
Dates of accusations: 2015
Source: http://people.com/movies/roy-price-resigns-as-amazon-studios-head-after-sexual-harassment-allegations/

31. Director Brett Ratner
Number of accusers: six (6)
Dates of accusations: early 1990s, 2004-2005, 2014
Source: http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-brett-ratner-allegations-20171101-htmlstory.html, http://samuel-warde.com/2017/11/ellen-page-accuses-x-men-director-brett-ratner-sexual-harassment/

32. Nickelodeon showrunner Chris Savino
Number of accusers: twelve (12) or more
Dates of accusations: 2002-present
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2017/10/24/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-nickelodeon-sexual-harassment-allegations/?utm_term=.184330775b00

33. Director Oliver Stone
Number of accusers: three (3)
Dates of accusations: early 1990s (?)
Source: https://www.allure.com/story/patricia-arquette-carrie-stevens-accuse-oliver-stone-sexual-misconduc, https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/oct/14/oliver-stone-accused-of-groping-by-carrie-stevens-playboy-model

34. Writer and director James Toback
Number of accusers: three hundred ten (310) or more
Dates of accusations: 1987 to the present (?)
Source: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/over-300-women-james-toback-allegations_us_59f27617e4b07fdc5fbd3236, http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-mn-james-toback-sexual-harassment-allegations-20171018-story.html

35. “Mad Men” writer Matthew Weiner
Number of accusers: one (1)
Dates of accusations: 2009
Source: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/former-mad-men-writer-starts-nonprofit-after-alleged-harassment?jwt=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJzaGFyZnphY2tAZ21haWwuY29tIiwiZXhwIjoxNTQxODIxNjg2LCJuIjoiR3Vlc3QiLCJzY29wZSI6WyJzaGFyZSJdfQ.xM_YGbdHAyx1GNxOs414LdQygs8Ela0GWJN4CEEY_Ic&unlock=da592d690dfb54e4

36. The Weinstein Company Producer: Harvey Weinstein
Number of accusers: at least one hundred three (103)
Dates of accusations: 1970s-2015
Source: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/1/d/1Z95WVLLbh6M1U_Ch4vbfKuJtUmznu-ZgM9yHFBJl68I/htmlview

37. The Weinstein Company Producer: Bob Weinstein
Number of accusers: one (1) or more
Dates of accusations: 2016
Source: http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/bob-weinstein-sexual-harassment-1202592165/

VII. Literary Critic, Editor:

38. New Republic editor Leon Wieseltier
Number of accusers: twelve (12) or more
Dates of accusations: uncertain
Source: https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/10/the-harvey-effect-reaches-leon-wieseltier/543897/

39. Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner
Number of accusers: one (1)
Dates of accusations: 2005
Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/maryanngeorgantopoulos/jann-wenner?utm_term=.xudYYGmNQo#.ymXYYMOg3p

VIII. Singer, Actors:

40. Ben Affleck
Number of accusers: two (2)
Dates of accusations: 2003, 2014
Source: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ben-affleck-pledges-to-address-his-behavior-after-sexual-harassment-claims_us_5a0063c1e4b0c9653000e727

41. Casey Affleck
Number of accusers: two (2)
Dates of accusations: 2010
Source: http://www.thisisinsider.com/casey-affleck-sexual-harassment-allegations-oscars-harvey-weinstein-2017-10

42. Louis C.K. (comedian)
Number of accusers: five (5)
Dates of accusations: Beginning about 2002.
Source: https://pagesix.com/2017/11/09/louis-c-k-accused-of-sexual-misconduct-by-five-women/, https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/louis-c-k-issues-statement-182218283.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=fb

43. Bill Cosby
Number of accusers: fifty-eight (58) or more
Dates of accusations: 1965-2008
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/lifestyle/bill-cosby-women-accusers/ http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-bill-cosby-timeline-htmlstory.html

44. Robert Herjavec
Number of accusers: one (1) ??
Dates of accusations: 2015
Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/article183603056.html

45. Dustin Hoffman
Number of accusers: two (2)
Dates of accusations: 1985, 1991
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/nov/02/dustin-hoffman-faces-second-sexual-harassment-claim, http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/dustin-hoffman-sexually-harassed-me-i-was-17-guest-column-1053466

46. Michael Jackson
Number of accusers: multiple
Dates of accusations: 1985-1992, 1986, 1988, 1992 (??)
Source: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-lawsuit-michael-jackson-20161027-story.html, http://people.com/crime/wade-robson-claims-michael-jackson-ran-child-sexual-abuse-operation/

47. Jeremy Piven
Number of accusers: four (4)
Dates of accusations: 2003, 2011, other dates (?)
Source: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/11/jeremy-piven-sexual-assault-accusations

48. Steven Seagal
Number of accusers: three (3) ???
Dates of accusations: 1991-2005
Source: http://people.com/movies/julianna-margulies-recalls-alleged-encounter-with-steven-seagal-i-saw-his-gun/

49. Charlie Sheen
Number of accusers: one (1)
Dates of accusations: 1985
Source: https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/celebrity/charlie-sheen-denies-corey-haim-sexual-assault-allegation/ar-BBEKgCk

50. Kevin Spacey
Number of accusers: fifteen (15) or more
Dates of accusations: 1981-2014
Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/man-accuses-kevin-spacey-wordless-sexual-assault-article-1.3624640, https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4806252/kevin-spacey-allegations-sexual-assault-anthony-rapp-london-attacks/

51. Jeffrey Tambor
Number of accusers: one (1)
Dates of accusations: 2015(?)
Source: http://deadline.com/2017/11/jeffrey-tambor-sexual-harassment-claims-amazon-1202204220/

52. Ed Westwick
Number of accusers: one (1)
Dates of accusations: 2014
Source: https://www.facebook.com/kristina.kruz.5/posts/10211729772336179?pnref=story

IX. Celebrity Photographer:

53. Terry Richardson
Number of accusers: nine (9) or more
Dates of accusations: 2001-2014 (?)
Source: https://www.marieclaire.com.au/terry-richardson-every-sexual-harassment-and-assault-allegation

X. Hotelier, Celebrity Chefs:

54. Hotelier André Balazs
Number of accusers: four (4)
Dates of accusations: 1991-2014
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/09/style/andre-balazs-accused-of-groping-standard-chateau-marmont.html

55. Chef John Besh
Number of accusers: one (1) against Besh; twenty-five (25) or more re a culture of abuse within Besh’s restaurant group
Dates of accusations: 2015, previously and continuing
Source: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/john-besh-sexual-harassment-allegations_us_59ef3effe4b0d14acdcc7e73, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/10/24/new-orleans-celebrity-chef-john-besh-steps-down-from-restaurant-group-after-sexual-harassment-allegations/?utm_term=.bb24c1724d8e

56. Chef Julian Medina
Number of accusers: one (1)
Dates of accusations: 2017 (?)
Source: http://gothamist.com/2017/08/07/prolific_new_york_city_chef.php

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