Sen. Kamala Harris (D., Calif.) revealed in a recent interview that she has not spoken to the woman who accused her aide of sexual harassment while she was California's attorney general.
Harris, one of several Democratic candidates running for president, sat down for an interview with Univision’s Ilia Calderón on Wednesday, where she was pressed about the sexual harassment case that resulted in Danielle Hartley receiving a $400,000 settlement. Hartley was the director of the Division of Law Enforcement while Harris served as attorney general.
"One of your top aides, Larry Wallace, was accused of sexual harassment, and you said you weren’t aware of what had happened," Calderón said. "Did anyone tell you what was going on at your office?"
Harris said she was not informed about that case and shifted to talk about she has been a "fighter for women's rights," saying she has fought for women's empowerment in terms of wage benefits and opportunities for professional success.
"Did you reach [out] out to the alleged victim in this specific case to offer your support?" Calderón asked.
"I have indicated that I am supportive of all women who come forward and speak up and have the courage to speak up," Harris said. "In this specific case, I have not talked to the victim."
When asked why she hasn't reached out, Harris said she is letting the attorney general's office handle the case.
Larry Wallace, who served as a senior adviser in Harris's Senate office, resigned back in December after the Sacramento Bee started inquiring about the settlement with the senator's office. In Hartley's lawsuit against the Department of Justice, she said Wallace took away her "meaningful tasks" and put her in charge of running his personal errands. Some of the errands included booking flights for his children and performing maintenance on his car. He would also ask her to crawl under his desk in her dress or skirt to change the paper in his printer, according to Hartley.
The Sacramento Bee editorial board slammed Harris over her "far-fetched" claim to have no knowledge of the lawsuit against Wallace.