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“According to the National Women’s Defense League, which advocates for sexual harassment policies in statehouses and keeps its own count, Republicans and Democrats are nearly equally accused and 94% of those overall are men.”
Associated Press, 12 dozen lawmakers accused in 8 years. Women in the statehouse weigh #MeToo’s impact, March 24, 2025.
“The National Women’s Defense League, a nonpartisan group founded in the wake of the #MeToo movement, asked the Harris campaign this past week to look into the case, saying Mr. Shapiro’s office “should have done a better job” in both preventing sexual harassment and handling the complaint. Democrats, including a candidate for Pennsylvania treasurer, have also taken aim at the governor for his office’s response to the allegations.”
New York Times, Shapiro Faces Scrutiny Over Sexual Harassment Complaint Against Aide, August 3, 2024.
“The sexual harassment uncovered in Indianapolis government is part of a national systemic problem, and the challenges in adequately addressing the issue are disturbingly typical,” said Emma Davidson Tribbs, cofounder and CEO of the National Women’s Defense League, at a council committee meeting last week. “This process has revealed institutional shortcomings that discourage survivors from coming forward.”
WFYI, 'Institutional shortcomings.' More people speak out on city's handling of abuse, harassment allegations, June 25, 2025.
“Emma Davidson Tribbs, director of the National Women’s Defense League, read a prepared statement on behalf of seven people who said they experienced harassment. Some of them worked in city government; others worked in political spaces. Councilors sat in silence as Davidson Tribbs read a prepared statement from Roberts and played an audio clip from the June 9 Council meeting where Roberts was thrown out.”
Mirror Indy, Democratic councilor calls for Hogsett resignation and new council leadership, June 17, 2025.
“The voices of survivors, said Harassment-Free New York’s Vladimer, aren’t going away anytime soon. And the National Women’s Defense League’s Davidson Tribbs argued that regardless of the outcome of the mayoral race, the opportunity is ripe for a broader reckoning.
“I think it is the perfect time for a state like New York or others to examine where the breakdown is in the system that allowed this kind of behavior to go on as long as it did in Albany and in other offices,” she said. “It’s the perfect example of what happens if we don’t stop this behavior from the get-go and hold people accountable.”
19th News, Cuomo resigned amid sexual harassment accusations. He’s back on the ballot, June 16, 2025.
“State legislatures craft most of the laws passed in the United States and serve as the main pipeline for higher office. But sexual harassment in state politics “remains a systemic and ongoing issue affecting both parties” according to a new report from the nonpartisan National Women’s Defense League (NWDL), first shared with The 19th.”
19th News, State politics has a sexual misconduct problem, March 11, 2025.
“Our latest research reinforces what we already knew: the problem of sexual harassment in statehouses is pervasive, damaging and covered up,” Davidson Tribbs said. “These abuses of power that not only inflict trauma, but impede policy making, waste taxpayer resources and disproportionately impact the leadership of women and minorities in government."
Indianapolis Star, Indiana cases highlighted in national report on 'pervasive' statehouse sexual harassment problem, March 12, 2025.
“We believe it is crucial that sexual harassment investigations, especially in government sectors, are conducted with the utmost impartiality,” Davidson Tribbs told Mirror Indy. “To ensure fairness, we believe that means minimizing any bias and removing political relationships that could influence the outcome of the investigation.”
Mirror Indy, Hogsett hires former city attorney in City-County Council investigation, March 3, 2025.
“Emma Davidson Tribbs, co-founder and director of the National Women’s Defense League (NWDL), said confirmation of Trump’s Cabinet nominees sends a “dangerous” message to federal employees that sexual impropriety should be tolerated and to other elected officials around the country that such behavior is acceptable.
“It is likely going to have a dampening effect on survivors being willing to come forward, making it much harder than it already is to understand the full scope of this problem,” said Davidson Tribbs, whose organization is focused on exposing and combatting sexual misconduct in state legislatures.”
19th News, Trump’s first term ignited #MeToo. Will his second extinguish it?, January 22, 2025.
“This is not one bad apple,” said Emma Davidson Tribbs, director of the center. “We know that that is a fraction of the lived experience and the reality of sexual harassment in the political workspace.” She said the years-long silence and lack of action surrounding the Taylor accusations suggests there is not a “robust and proactively protective situation in the Statehouse.”
Indianapolis Star, 3 more women accuse Indiana Senate Minority Leader Greg Taylor of sexual misconduct, January 19, 2025.
“The National Women’s Defense League conducted a study of all statehouses in the country and found at least 359 incidents of sexual harassment committed by 130 state lawmakers since 2013, according to a November 2023 report.
"No state has created a holistic, equitable and effective system that meaningfully prevents abuse from happening, protects and supports survivors of abuse, rectifies the offenders’ behavior expediently or holds violators accountable consistently,” according to the report.”
Chicago Tribune, Statehouse culture around sexual harassment no surprise to former Indiana legislators, November 30, 2024.
“A new report released by the National Women’s Defense League titled “Abuse of Power: Uncovering a Decade of Sexual Harassment in State Government” reveals that sexual harassment by sitting state lawmakers over the last decade is pervasive and ongoing: At least 130 statehouse lawmakers were accused of sexual harassment by 359 individuals in 45 states since 2013–with actual numbers likely three times as much due to underreporting by survivors and legislatures. The report makes clear that sexual harassment by state lawmakers isn’t a single-party issue or an anomaly–it’s a systemic and underregulated abuse of power in every statehouse across the country.”
Ms. Magazine, Sexual Harassment Is Pervasive in State Politics, December 8, 2023.
“Meaningful complaints were made by several survivors about an individual lawmaker, only to have those allegations not given credence or not seen as a serious violation,” report contributors wrote. “These survivors were warning the public about the potential danger public employees face, and the seriousness of harassment claims.” In Oregon, David Gomberg, Diego Hernandez, Jeff Kruse and Bill Post were listed as accused lawmakers. Gomberg is the only official who still serves the state government, while the others have all resigned.”
KOIN, Oregon lawmakers included in national report on statehouse sexual harassment allegations, November 28, 2023.
“The report resurfaced allegations against Assemblyman Devon Mathis, R-Visalia, who was disciplined in 2018 for making “sexual locker room talk,” including comments about fellow lawmakers, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“This report makes clear: Sexual harassment by state lawmakers isn’t a single party issue or an anomaly — it’s a systemic abuse of power in every statehouse across the country,” said Emma Davidson Tribbs, of the National Women’s Defense League.
Sacramento Bee, Report Names Sitting California Lawmaker Accused of Sexual Harassment, November 15, 2023.
“A bipartisan group of female state senators unveiled a package of legislation Tuesday aimed at combatting sexual harassment in Pennsylvania’s capitol, following several high-profile allegations made against top officials this year, including a state representative and a top aide to the governor. Their announcement came as the National Women’s Defense League, which consulted on the proposed legislation, released a report on sexual harassment in state governments across the country.”
Philadelphia Inquirer, Female PA Senators want to combat sexual harassment in Harrisburg, following scandal involving a top aide to Gov. Josh Shapiro, November 14, 2023.
