Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has rightfully filed a police complaint over a fake sexual harassment complaint against him, including the forged signature of a former aide. This is a vicious attack on Schumer that vividly illustrates the hatefilled madness that has taken so many citizens on both the left and the right in today’s poisonous political environment. I am heartened by the filing. Finding the culprit or culprits behind this fake complaint would take a small but meaningful step to bringing a element of responsibility back to our political discourse.
The fake complaint smeared Schumer with lurid, false details. It has been handed over to the Capitol Police. The 13-page, password-protected PDF file was sent to various media outlets under the name “Schumer_Complaint.” It was written to look like a 2012 filing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The woman who allegedly filed the complaint is a staff member who worked with Schumer from 2009 to 2012 and now works for the federal government. It details dates of sexual misconduct in Washington when Schumer was actually in New York.
Two controversial conservative bloggers Mike Cernovich and Charles C. Johnson posted on social media that they had a bombshell sexual harassment complaint against an unnamed senator.
Both now deny being the sources of the story and Cernovich insists that he “did his homework” and ultimately rejected the story as a hoax. He has a rather poor record on hoaxes. He was one of those pushing the bizarre Pizzagate conspiracy, a claim that Hillary Clinton and her aides were part of a pedophile ring operating out of the basement of a Washington pizzeria.
Hopefully, police will find an trail on this Schumer attack and we will expose part of this dark element on the web. What is interesting is that this is a forgery designed to look like an official document (which would be serious federal and state crime if filed), but it was never actually an official document. That could knock some potential criminal charges. It could constitute mail and wire fraud and other crimes. There can also be civil liability for false light, defamation, and other torts. In other words, this person or persons may have thought that this was just more trolling on the Internet, but could soon discover that there are consequences for actions . . . even on the Internet.
McKesson’s defamation lawsuit against Fox, where’s Turley’s post?
Not just in political atmosphere. Whole MeToo movement is slippery slope if due process not afforded to accused. We hear “Credible allegations” everiday. “Credible” a subjective judgement vs. judgement based on evidence Sexual accusations are the proverbial bell that can’t be unrung & while they should be taken seriously, they should be both made & considered carefully.
At least the photo of Chuck does not have him with his glasses down on the end of his nose.
Good for Chuck Schumer for filing the police report. He should also sue when he discovers the culprit. Since it was never actually filed, I wonder if they police won’t be able to do anything, but refer him to civil court.
You have to hit back, effectively, against serious libel like this.
Political poisoning.
Chuckyboy Schumer should not be defamed.
From Shareblue about the end of net neutrality-
“Repubs think stripping away consumer protections and handing over the internet to big business to just one big joke.”
The FCC Chair Ajit Pai is reprehensible.
Everything these rethugs do is for da corporate donors.
just like Obama – makin’ da major $$ from da banks as payback for not putting them in jail. The corps control Rs and Ds
Obama did not wreck da internet T rump and his retuglicans.
Da biggest payout to da corporations is coming in T rump’s tax bill. Da biggest and must beautiful ever. It is financed on da back of da middle class , T rump apologist Auti T rump Boti.