Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 7 July 2018

2 women publicly accuse Indiana attorney general of groping

By BRIAN SLODYSKO Reardon and McLemore. leged victims of sexual mis-
Associated Press McLemore said Hill cor- conduct or assault unless
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Two nered her at the party and they come forward pub-
women came forward Fri- asked, “Do you know who licly, as the two women did.
day to publicly accuse At- I am?” and proceeded to Indiana’s sexual battery
torney General Curtis Hill massage her back, while statute says it’s a felony to
of groping them during a she worried what others touch “another person’s
party earlier this year, in- who noticed Hill’s unwant- genitals, pubic area, but-
creasing pressure on the ed advances would think. tocks, or female breast
embattled Republican to Eventually her intern in- when that person is un-
resign. tervened by asking if she aware.”
Democratic state Rep. wanted to go to the bath- That’s what Candelaria
Mara Candelaria Reardon room. Reardon has accused Hill
published her account McLemore said she never of doing.
of the March 15 incident, wanted to come forward, “I am not anonymous. I am
which occurred at an Indi- but changed her mind af- a wife, mother, business
anapolis bar, in The (North- ter seeing that earlier on owner and a state repre-
west Indiana) Times news- Friday Candelaria Reardon sentative. I am also a victim
paper. had come forward, and of sexual battery, perpe-
Gabrielle McLemore, the that Hill continued to deny trated by Indiana Attorney
Indiana Senate Demo- he did anything wrong. General Curtis Hill,” she
crats’ communications di- “Women go through wrote in the piece.
rector, told The Associated This Aug. 9, 2017 photo shows Curtis Hill, Indiana Attorney this stuff all the time,” Hill is a staunch social con-
General, during an event in Indianapolis. Indiana’s Democratic
Press that she decided to Party chairman is urging Hill to resign after he was investigated McLemore told The Associ- servative who is married
go public partly out of frus- because four women accused him of inappropriate touching. ated Press. For Hill “to deny and had been viewed as
tration that Hill issued a de- Chairman John Zody said the allegations against Hill are it again and again is so frus- a rising star in the Republi-
fiant statement Friday call- “beyond troubling and wildly inappropriate.” trating. If my story can help can Party since his election
ing the allegations false. Associated Press other women feel like they in 2016. The former Elkhart
The two women also said year. She says he leaned of stepping down despite don’t have to hide, that County prosecutor is an El-
they acted because they toward her, put his hand on calls to do so. they don’t have to feel like vis impersonator who has
wanted to give other wom- her back, slid it down and “I am not resigning. The al- they did something wrong relished punditry appear-
en the courage to confront grabbed her buttocks. The legations against me are — that’s my goal.” ances on Fox News. In May,
inappropriate conduct. Munster lawmaker says she vicious and false,” he said Several other women he warmed up the crowd
Candelaria Reardon de- told Hill to “back off,” but in a statement Friday. “At shared similar stories with in- during a rally held in his
scribed Hill’s behavior as he approached again lat- no time did I ever grab or vestigators who looked into hometown by President
“deviant” when she en- er in the night, put his hand touch anyone inappropri- the matter, according to Donald Trump, who gave
countered him in the early on her back and said: “That ately.” a confidential memo that Hill a shoutout for being a
morning hours after the leg- skin. That back.” That’s at odds with the ac- was leaked this week. “good man” who’s “done
islative session ended for the Hill said he has no intention counts of both Candelaria The AP does not identify al- a great job.”q

tor of the bureau. It cre-
Leandra English, who sued ated a standoff between
Trump, to resign from CFPB the White House and the
CFPB, and it was unclear
for several days who was
By KEN SWEET director of the bureau. She actually in charge of the
AP Business Writer was promoted to deputy bureau.
NEW YORK (AP) — Leandra director shortly before Cor- English quickly sued to
English, the deputy director dray resigned in late No- block Mulvaney’s ap-
of the Consumer Financial vember. Citing the law that pointment, but federal
Protection Bureau who un- created the bureau, English judges repeatedly ruled
successfully sued President and Cordray both argued that President Trump had
Donald Trump for control that she was now the acting the power to appoint who
of the consumer watchdog director of the bureau. he wanted into federal
agency, said Friday she President Trump, citing long- agencies. After Mulvaney
In this Nov. 27, 2017, file photo, Leandra English, who was plans to resign next week. standing laws over presi- was clearly in control of
elevated to interim director of the Consumer Financial English was the chief of dential appointees, named the bureau, English was
Protection Bureau by its outgoing director, attends a staff for Richard Cordray, his budget director, Mick largely sidelined by the
meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington. President Barack Obama’s Mulvaney, as acting direc-
Associated Press current administration.q