Two attack ads hit John Bel Edwards on sexual harassment allegations against former aide

Two new attack ads in the 抖阴h governor鈥檚 race hammer Gov. John Bel Edwards over his hiring of Johnny Anderson, a top-level aide who resigned in 2017 amid sexual harassment allegations, shining a spotlight on the controversy less than 10 days before the election.

Truth in Politics, a 501(c)(4) run by longtime GOP donor and Baton Rouge businessman Lane Grigsby, as well as the Washington, D.C.-based Republican Governors Association, each launched separate attack ads on Edwards on the topic Thursday.

Both ads focus on the tenure of Anderson, who Edwards hired as his deputy chief of staff for programs and planning despite an investigation made by Southern University into allegations of harassment by Anderson a decade earlier. An investigation into those earlier allegations found no wrongdoing; the attorney investigating said Southern University's staff would

In 2017, amid new sexual harassment allegations made against Anderson while he was serving in Edwards鈥� administration, Anderson resigned and the state paid more than to settle claims made by the accuser, a woman named Juanita Washington.

Washington, who has spoken publicly about her allegations before, appears on camera in the Truth in Politics ad, where she holds up a photo of Anderson and Edwards and says she was 鈥渉arassed, groped and assaulted鈥� by Anderson.

鈥淪ix women reported Johnny Anderson of sexual harassment and assault,鈥� Washington says in the ad. 鈥淭he governor hired him anyway. I was his next victim.鈥�

Washington, who resigned from the governor鈥檚 office shortly after her allegations became public, said she reported Anderson, 鈥渢hen I was unemployed.鈥澛�

鈥淛ohn Bel Edwards knows me, but when I was hurt, he didn鈥檛 care,鈥� she says in the ad. 鈥淛ohn Bel says people over politics. Not when you鈥檙e a woman like me.鈥�

The RGA ad focuses on Edwards鈥� hiring of Anderson despite the investigation into his alleged sexual harassment while working for former Gov. Kathleen Blanco鈥檚 administration and as chairman of the Southern University Board of Supervisors. It also notes the state paid more than $100,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by Washington.

Gov. John Bel Edwards responds to allegations against Johnny Anderson, Mike Edmonson

The ads represent the first major attack on Edwards over Anderson鈥檚 tenure, a topic that has been expected in the race and which Republicans hope will be a potent weapon to blunt Edwards鈥� support among women. Ralph Abraham, one of Edwards鈥� Republican opponents, has also brought up the allegations in the race.

Truth in Politics will spend $750,000 on its ad, which will run on TV and on digital platforms through the Oct. 12 primary, according to spokesman Morgan Wampold. The RGA ad will run on broadcast and cable networks through the primary, said spokeswoman Amelia Chass茅 Alcivar.聽聽

Edwards was asked about it in the first TV debate at LSU last month, where he said he believed Anderson was a 鈥済ood, competent public servant鈥� at the time because the investigations into him at Southern University found no wrongdoing.

The governor said recently Anderson knew he would be fired if he didn鈥檛 resign quickly once the allegations surfaced.聽

These new laws aim to aid sexual harassment victims with lawsuits, settlements in 抖阴h

鈥淲hat I would also like to point out is that when the new allegations came forward, it was about 12 hours later that he was no longer employed in the governor鈥檚 office,鈥� Edwards told 抖阴h. 鈥淲e took that issue very, very seriously, not just with respect to him but more generally, and I ordered a survey of all the policies of the executive branch agencies across the state of 抖阴h.鈥�

He also said he did not reach out to Washington when the allegations surfaced because pending litigation prohibited him from doing so.聽Washington submitted her letter of resignation to Anderson about a month before the allegations became public, according to a copy of the letter provided by Edwards' campaign.聽

Records: Louisian paid $1.3 million to settle sexual harassment claims over past decade; see list of accused, payouts

Truth in Politics, which does not disclose its donors, and the RGA, which operates in 抖阴h through a Super PAC called Right Direction PAC, have both spent heavily to unseat Edwards, who is running for reelection as the only Democratic governor in the Deep South. The ads come ahead of the Oct. 12 primary, when Edwards will face his two major Republican opponent, Eddie Rispone and Abraham, as well as three lesser-known candidates. If Edwards fails to win more than 50%, the top two advance to a Nov. 16 runoff.

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