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Top Bullock Aide Has History of Sexist, Homophobic Comments

Bullock has been criticized for fostering a hostile work environment as governor

Democratic Senate candidate and Montana governor Steve Bullock / Getty Images
July 30, 2020

A top aide to Montana governor Steve Bullock's Senate campaign has a history of making sexist and homophobic comments online.

Evan McCullers, who became the Bullock campaign's deputy press secretary in June after serving as an executive assistant for Sen. Jon Tester (D., Mont.), sent strings of sexist and homophobic tweets from 2012 to 2014 when he was in high school and college. In a 2013 tweet tagged with "#LiberalTips2AvoidRape," McCullers said "Like it. Then it won't be rape."

McCullers made various disparaging comments toward women, tweeting "Girls who try to be pretty but still look like they belong in a pile of manure < #getouttahere #youretoouglyformyeyes" and "Can't treat these hoes like ladies."

McCullers also used homophobic slurs. On Groundhog Day in 2013, he tweeted "I wonder if the little faggot beaver saw his shadow?" And in 2014, McCullers tweeted "this may be homo but figure skating is among my top 5 favorite Winter Olympic sports."

According to his LinkedIn profile, McCullers graduated high school and began college in 2013, meaning the tweets were likely sent between the ages of 17 and 19.

Bullock has faced criticism for fostering a hostile work environment and failing to adequately address accusations of sexual misconduct among his staff. Former aide Kevin O'Brien, who worked under Bullock during the Montana Democrat's tenure as chair of the Democratic Governors Association in 2015, left the job after an investigation found accusations of sexual harassment to be credible. Bullock failed to inform New York City mayor Bill de Blasio of the reason behind O'Brien's departure when the staffer went to work for de Blasio's office in 2016. O'Brien was again fired for sexual harassment after investigators confirmed several accusations. Following his termination, Bullock said he "expected that having been held accountable for his actions, Kevin would not repeat this behavior."

"The whole thing is disgusting and it makes me tremendously angry that someone lied to us," de Blasio said after firing O'Brien, who was briefly promoted to acting chief of staff and earned as much as $220,652 for his role.

The Bullock campaign did not respond to a request for comment.