Late Tuesday night, the official congressional Twitter account of Katie Hill posted a lengthy thread accusing the former California Congresswoman of abusing her staff members. Hill no longer has access to that account and from her personal account, she said that her staff shouldn’t either. She says when she left office last year, control of the account was given back to the House Clerk.
“God knows who hacked it from there,” Hill wrote.
The thread came in response to news that Elizabeth Moss would be playing Hill in a streaming adaptation of her book, She Will Rise, being produced by Blumhouse TV.
I can finally announce another exciting project! I’m so honored to be played by the iconic Elisabeth Moss, and thrilled to work with this incredible team.
Guess I’m about to add movie producer to my resume…https://t.co/OZ9cy9bTSf
— Katie Hill (@KatieHill4CA) October 6, 2020
If you remember, Hill resigned over allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate. She had admitted to having a consensual relationship with a campaign staffer before her election, which is technically not prohibited but is still inappropriate, as Hill herself admitted. She was also in the midst of a Congressional ethics investigation into an alleged relationship with another staffer, which she denied.
The reason for her resignation was not the investigation, she said, but a smear campaign launched by her ex-husband, who also appeared to have originated the allegations of misconduct in a Facebook post. Rightwing tabloids published nude pictures of Hill, which she said were supplied by her ex.
In her final speech from the House floor, Hill said, “I am leaving because I no longer want to be used as a bargaining chip. I’m leaving because I didn’t want to be peddled by papers and blogs and websites, used by shameless operatives for the dirtiest gutter politics that I’ve ever seen and the right-wing media to drive clicks and expand their audience by distributing intimate photos of me, taken without my knowledge, let alone my consent, for the sexual entertainment of millions.”
“I am leaving because of a misogynistic culture that gleefully consumed my naked pictures, capitalized on my sexual assault, and enabled my abusive ex to continue that abuse, this time with the entire country watching,” she said at the time.
The thread posted to Hill’s congressional account reads, “Katie’s former staff here. Disappointed in so many folks – including Elizabeth Moss, @Blumhouse, & @michaelseitzman – regarding today’s announcement.”
The poster doesn’t deny that Hill was the victim of abuse. Instead, they emphasize the fact that a person “can be both a victim and perpetrator” of abuse.
“This is an incredibly sensitive situation. We appreciate the instinct to defend our former boss, an LGBTQ+ woman who faced abuse from her husband,” the thread reads. “What happened to Katie Hill shouldn’t happen to anyone. But, this moment requires more nuance, as Katie Hill’s story – our story – is also one of workplace abuse and harassment.”
Unfortunately, many of the replies online lack any sort of nuance. There’s a whole lot of gloating and tasteless jokes in response to the thread, with no apparent empathy being shown for victims of abuse.
No one should have to put themselves in harm’s way for the public to understand a simple truth: Katie Hill is not a hero for women. We deserve heroes who embody our values even in the most difficult moments.
— Rep. Katie Hill (@RepKatieHill) October 7, 2020
Katie Hill was never investigated by the House Ethics Committee, nor has she been held accountable by anyone other than herself. We encourage everyone to reflect deeply before taking her word at face value.
— Rep. Katie Hill (@RepKatieHill) October 7, 2020
Katie took advantage of her subordinates. She caused immense harm to the people who worked for her, many of whom were young women just beginning their careers in politics.
— Rep. Katie Hill (@RepKatieHill) October 7, 2020
Workplace abuse and harassment can take many different forms, but one thing is certain: it is never okay, even if your boss is a woman and/or a survivor.
— Rep. Katie Hill (@RepKatieHill) October 7, 2020
From her personal account, Hill writes, “Regardless of their author, the content of the hacked tweets is something I have talked about at length in my book, in podcasts and in countless interviews regarding my decision to resign, as well as the constant work and reflection I’ve done since then. I look forward to continuing to have conversations around these issues and using my platform to support women in any way possible.”
I have not read Hill’s book but if the tweets did, in fact, come from former staffers and they don’t feel Hill has made amends with them or been sufficiently held accountable, but rather put her attempt at atonement into a book from which she profited, I can see why they’d be upset.
Enough is enough. In order to advance the #MeToo movement, we must be willing to acknowledge the problematic behaviors among those in our own communities. Only then will we see true progress. #TimesUp #MeToo
— Rep. Katie Hill (@RepKatieHill) October 7, 2020
(image: Zach Gibson/Getty Images)
Want more stories like this? Become a subscriber and support the site!
—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—
