Obama cabinet official: Clinton White House doubled down on ‘abusive behavior’
The former secretary of Health and Human Services under President Obama took aim at former President Clinton’s administration for its handling of sexual misconduct and abusive behavior.
Speaking to former Obama adviser David Axelrod on his podcast, Kathleen Sebelius said Clinton-era officials looked the other way when sexual misconduct allegations were made and railed against the administration for doubling down on “abusive behavior.”
“Not only did people look the other way, but they went after the women who came forward and accused him,” Sebelius said. “And so it doubled down on not only bad behavior but abusive behavior. And then people attacked the victims.”
Sebelius, a former governor of Kansas, hit Democrats for dismissing women who came forward with sexual harassment allegations against then-President Clinton. She said the pattern of Democrats’ dismissal is prevalent today amid a recent slew of misconduct allegations against sitting lawmakers.
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“You can watch that same pattern repeat. It needs to end. It needs to be over,” she said.
Bill Clinton engaged in a sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky, who was 22 at the time, between 1995 and 1996. It was revealed in 1998.
He denied the inappropriate relationship, but later admitted it occurred, which lead to the Republican-controlled House voting to impeach him in 1998. He was later acquitted of the charges in the Senate and remained in office.
Others have come forward with assault and harassment allegations against Clinton in the past.
Sebelius pointed to Franken’s immediate public apology and request for the Senate Ethics Committee to open an investigation into the matter, but did not say whether the senator and former comedian should resign.
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