Bad Bob wrote:
I know you fascist do things differently but real Americans don't require a person to suffer the indignity of punishment UNTIL THEY HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF A CRIME. Chew on that tonight when you visit the goats for your evenings entertainment.
Robert William Packwood (born September 11, 1932) is an American former attorney and politician from Oregon and a member of the Republican Party. He resigned from the United States Senate, under threat of expulsion, in 1995 after allegations of sexual harassment, abuse and assault of women emerged.
Road to resignation[edit]
Sexual misconduct allegations[edit]
Packwood's political career began to unravel in November 1992, when a Washington Post story detailed claims of sexual abuse and assault from ten women, chiefly former staffers and lobbyists.[31] Publication of the story was delayed until after the 1992 election, as Packwood had denied the allegations and the Post had not gathered enough of the story at the time.[32][33] Packwood defeated Democrat Les AuCoin 52.1% to 46.5%. Eventually 19 women would come forward.[34]
As the situation developed, Packwood's diary became an issue. Wrangling over whether the diary could be subpoenaed and whether it was protected by the Fifth Amendment's protection against self-incrimination ensued. He did divulge 5,000 pages to the Senate Ethics Committee but balked when a further 3,200 pages were demanded by the committee. It was discovered that he had edited the diary, removing what were allegedly references to sexual encounters and the sexual abuse allegations made against him. Packwood then made what some of his colleagues interpreted as a threat to expose wrongdoing by other members of Congress. The diary allegedly detailed some of his abusive behavior toward women and, according to a press statement made by Richard Bryan, at that time serving as senator from Nevada, "raised questions about possible violations of one or more laws, including criminal laws".[35]
Expulsion recommendation and resignation[edit]
Despite pressure from the public and from female Senators, especially Barbara Boxer from California, for open hearings, the Senate ultimately decided against them. The Ethics Committee's indictment, running to ten-volumes and 10,145 pages, much of it from Packwood's own writings, according to a report in The New York Times detailed the sexual misconduct, obstruction of justice, and ethics charges being made against him.[36] The chairman of the Ethics Committee, Republican senator Mitch McConnell, referred to Packwood's "habitual pattern of aggressive, blatantly sexual advances, mostly directed at members of his own staff or others whose livelihoods were connected in some way to his power and authority as a Senator" and said Packwood's behaviour included "deliberately altering and destroying relevant portions of his diary" which Packwood himself had written in the diary were "very incriminating information".[36]
With pressure mounting against him, Packwood announced his resignation from the Senate on September 7, 1995, in which he stated that he was "aware of the dishonor that has befallen me in the last three years" and "his duty to resign" following the Senate Ethics Committee unanimous recommendation that he be expelled from the Senate for ethical misconduct.[36] Democratic Congressman Ron Wyden won the seat in a special election.
After the sexual harassment case came to light, Packwood entered the Hazelden Foundation clinic for alcoholism in Minnesota, blaming his drinking for the harassments.[37]
Four years later, during debate on Clinton's impeachment, McConnell said that the Republicans knew that it was very likely Packwood's seat would fall to the Democrats if Packwood were forced out. However, McConnell said, he and his fellow Republicans felt that it came down to a choice of "retain the Senate seat or retain our honor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Packwood