It is evident that there are at least some in Congress who don’t understand that sexual abuse and harassment are wrong. #MeToo movement or not, Congresswoman Esty (D-Conn) was all for sweeping some very serious allegations under the rug in favor of helping out her former chief of staff, Tony Baker.

A former staff member for U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty says she was punched, screamed at and threatened with death by the congresswoman’s then chief of staff, who after being fired in 2016 went on to work for Sandy Hook Promise on Esty’s recommendation.

Oh, but wait, there is more to all of this.

A. Esty gave a PERSONAL recommendation for Baker to Sandy Hook promise – one that she COWROTE with him

B. She kept him on for three months even after being provided proof of his abusive behavior

C. Esty is a supporter of women. Uh huh…

But Esty is a supporter of issues focused on women, including pay equity and paid family leave. In addition, she boasts an office wall of bills she’s navigated through Congress to enactment — a list that includes promoting women’s entrepreneurship, getting women and girls interested in aerospace careers, and breaking up the sex-trafficker transportation pipeline.

A veteran of the Cheshire Town Council and the Connecticut General Assembly, Esty is well versed in the politics of policymaking and appearances. And as a Yale Law School grad and former D.C. law firm practitioner, she is also skilled on questions of legal rights and procedure.

In the interviews, Esty insisted she followed the recommendations and procedures set forth by the House counsel’s office for terminating an employee — and that she had little choice in the matter.

But in doing so, she said, she came to understand the rules were aimed at protecting House members and the institution, even if it was “designed to cover it up, sweep it under the rug,” as she put it.

Oh, ok. So in other words, blame everyone else instead of stepping up to the plate and firing his ass right then and there. Got it.

The House Admin. Committee provided a reminder: "each member makes the final decision" on the legal documents they sign. Esty could have suspended or terminated Baker in May 2016. She could have demanded different terms for his exit. She chose not to, and has regrets about that.

— Elise Viebeck (@eliseviebeck) March 30, 2018

Exactly. Congresswoman Esty should’ve demanded he be fired immediately. She SHOULD’VE said NO to providing a written recommendation to Sandy Hook Promise. But she did none of those things.

Instead, just as the #MeToo movement was gaining steam, members of Congress decided that there should be mandatory sexual harassment training for all.

Guess what Congresswoman Esty had to say about that?

FLASHBACK: “In November, after the House passed a resolution requiring sexual harassment training for all members and staff, Esty said: “For too long, the culture in Washington has accepted entirely unacceptable behavior. That needs to change — period.”

— Liz Kurantowicz (@mrskurantowicz) March 30, 2018

Too bad for the young woman, Anna Kain, whom Baker harassed, punched her in the back, harangued, and threatened her repeatedly via text and voicemails. You see, this is how Esty handled these revelations.

1. The Office of House Employment Counsel pressured her
2. It ‘felt wrong to me,’ but I signed anyway
3. Baker traveled with Esty to the Democrat National Convention when this was known to Esty
4. Esty gave Baker $5000 in additional severance after keeping him on payroll for three months
5. Kain was never ever involved in this process

How bad was Baker’s harassment against Anna Kain? This bad.

“You better f—–g reply to me or I will f—–g kill you,” Tony Baker said in the May 5, 2016, recording left for Anna Kain, a former Esty aide Baker had once dated.

Kain, who provided a copy of the recording to The Washington Post, alerted the police, filed a report for felony threats and obtained a 12-month restraining order against Baker.

Baker posed a threat to Anna Kain and likely to other staffers. Esty was provided detailed information regarding his threats, violence, and harassment. Did Esty go to bat for Kain? NO. Instead, she swept it under the rug and helped out Baker when she should’ve turned him into the Capital Police and fired his ass on the spot.

“I am committed to creating a safe workplace that supports all of my staff, and doesn’t tolerate harassment or discrimination of any kind,” Esty said. Would $5,000.00 and 90 days on the job count as toleration? @RepEsty @CTDems #CTPolitics

— CT Chronicle (@ct_chronicle) March 30, 2018

Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty can spin all she wants. But the story is clear. For all her posturing, she gave a pass to a violent sexual harasser and now that she’s been found out, she regrets that this happened at all and thus is blaming everyone else instead of stepping up and taking responsibility. Sounds like someone else we know, doesn’t it?