Sen. Schumer Was Victim Of Fake Sexual Harassment Claim
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
(JTA) — Senate Minority leader Charles Schumer said he was the victim of a fake report regarding sexual harassment.
The news website Axios first reported that Schumer, the senior senator from New York, has turned over to Capitol Police a document that alleges in detail sexual harassment accusations by a former staffer.
The former Schumer staffer told Axios in a phone interview that she did not write the document, that none of the charges are true, and that her signature was a forgery.
“I have contacted law enforcement to determine who is responsible. I parted with Senator Schumer’s office on good terms and have nothing but the fondest memories of my time there,” she said in a statement to Axios.
The 13-page document was prepared to look like a lawsuit that was filed in U.S. District Court, but lacked information that would have normally been included in such a document, including the name and contact information for the attorney of the alleged accuser.
The woman worked for Schumer from 2009 to 2012 but now works elsewhere in the federal government, according to The Hill. She told reporters that she also has contacted police over the fake lawsuit.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
