December 12, 2017

Key House Democrat Wants Investigation Into Sexual Misconduct Allegations Against Trump

Elijah Cummings also denounced Trump’s crude attack on Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

Bill Clark/ZUMA

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Democratic calls for Congress to launch an investigation into accusations of sexual misconduct against President Donald Trump grew louder Tuesday, with Rep. Elijah Cummings, the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, urging the committee to swiftly open a probe and take the claims seriously.

“Congress is in the midst of a critical and long-overdue examination of allegations against its own Members—both before and after they were elected to Congress,” the Maryland Democrat wrote in a statement Tuesday. “It is extremely hard for Republicans to argue that Congress should ignore these multiple allegations. They deserve a bipartisan review, and I hope Chairman [Trey] Gowdy [R-S.C.] will launch an investigation immediately.”

Cummings’ statement, which was issued in response to a letter signed by 59 female members of Congress demanding that lawmakers investigate the matter, came one day after three of Trump’s accusers renewed their allegations in hopes that their stories would be formally addressed in light of the national conversations surrounding sexual misconduct. 

Last year, at least 17 women accused then-candidate Trump of sexual misconduct. He has denied every accusation. He previously threatened to sue his accusers after the election, though he has yet to do so.

Trump on Tuesday lashed out at Democratic senators who the day before said the president should resign over the allegations. He specifically singled out Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), claiming in a tweet that she had previously begged him for campaign contributions and had offered to “do anything” in return.

Gillibrand quickly responded to Trump.

Cummings also condemned Trump’s attack on Gillibrand and demanded that he “stop degrading the Office of the Presidency.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren described the attack as an attempt to “slut-shame” Gillibrand.

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

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And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

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