Sen. Boxer: SD mayor ‘betrayed’ constituents
Aug 9, 2013, 8:13 PM
SAN DIEGO (AP) – Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer sent a letter to San Diego Mayor Bob Filner on Friday, confronting her former fellow congressman to urge him to resign over sexual harassment allegations against him.
Boxer said in the letter to the 70-year-old Democratic mayor that the accusations have “shaken me to the core.”
Boxer pointed out that she already made a public call for his resignation: “But now I must say this directly to you: Bob, you must resign because you have betrayed the trust of the women you have victimized, the San Diegans you represent and the people you have worked with throughout your decades in public life.”
Numerous local, state and federal elected officials have called for the mayor to resign.
Filner so far has refused and instead is undergoing two weeks of intensive behavioral therapy after acknowledging he has disrespected and intimidated women. More than a dozen women have publicly accused Filner of sexual harassment, including the mayor’s former communications director who has filed a lawsuit.
“Let me be clear: The latest revelations regarding your behavior toward women recovering from sexual assault – women who desperately need our help – have shaken me to my core,” Boxer wrote. She later added: “Bob, you have already hurt so many people. To avoid hurting your victims and the people of San Diego more than you already have, you should step down immediately.”
Filner’s office did not respond to a request for comment on the letter.
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