ICYMI: Casey Campaign, Rep. Houlahan, Advocate Julie Roginsky, Civil Rights Lawyer Call on McCormick to Release Former Employees from NDAs
The Guardian: “Sen. Bob Casey Attacked [Dave McCormick] Over Allegations That He Fostered a Toxic Work Environment as CEO of [Bridgewater]”
WESA: A Tell-all Book on Bridgewater Reveals the Firm “Tolerates Egregious Mistreatment of Female Employees, Even Under McCormick’s Leadership”
PENNSYLVANIA – David McCormick is facing increased scrutiny after the Bob Casey for Senate campaign called on McCormick to demand that Bridgewater release former employees who reported sexual harassment or intimidation from any NDAs or confidentiality agreements so they can speak freely about their experiences with him.
What They Are Saying:
- “I’ve always placed a priority on combating sexual harassment in the workplace, and apparently at Bridgewater, it was just a whole different story,” Casey [said]. “So he’s being held accountable for that, and he should be held accountable. I think that alone is disqualifying. If you’ve engaged in that kind of activity in the private sector, you should not be a public official at any level.”
- The Casey campaign released an ad this week highlighting claims that McCormick attempted to silence or retaliate against female employees of Bridgewater who came forward with harassment claims.
- Casey’s campaign manager also penned a letter calling on McCormick to demand that Bridgewater release employees who reported harassment from their non-disclosure agreements.
- “It is your responsibility to ensure the voters of Pennsylvania have complete information about your record before casting their votes,” Tiernan Donohue, Casey’s campaign manager, wrote in the letter. “They deserve the full story.”
Bucks County Beacon: Casey campaign calls out Dave McCormick for reportedly muzzling women who reported sexual harassment with NDAs while CEO at Bridgewater
- On Friday, the Casey Campaign held a press conference to discuss McCormick’s alleged history of using NDAs to silence women about their experiences at Bridgewater. “Women should be allowed to speak about their experience of harassment or a toxic environment in the workplace without fear of retaliation or retribution,” said Tiernan Donohue, Casey’s campaign manager.
- After discussing the ad, Donohue said, “This is about more than an election, though. Any CEO, of any company, should foster an environment, and oversee that environment, where women are treated with respect and dignity, and where those who feel otherwise are allowed to come forward without fear of retaliation.”
- Another speaker at the conference was Julie Roginsky, an advocate of sexual harassment and one of the women who sued former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes for sexual harassment and retaliation. Roginsky talked about what it was like being forced to sign a NDA and how that experience led her to push for legislation to ban pre-dispute NDAs.
- Nancy Erika Smith, a Civil rights lawyer who represented both Roginsky and Carlson in their lawsuits against Ailes, added that Casey’s support for legislation ending forced arbitration for sexual assault and harassment victims shows where he stands on these issues.
- Many other publications have reached out to the McCormick campaign about the allegations in the book since its publication last November, but so far the campaign has been quiet about the issues brought up.
WESA: Looking back to Bridgewater to understand McCormick
- Judging from the best-known account of [Bridgewater], Wall Street Journal reporter Rob Copeland’s book “The Fund,” voters can’t assume [McCormick would] check even outlandish White House impulses.
- Copeland depicts Bridgewater […] [as] tolerat[ing] egregious mistreatment of female employees, even under McCormick’s leadership.
- […] McCormick “sold out his ability to call out right and wrong,” Copeland told me.
- “David will always do what is best for David,” [Copeland] said.
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