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“Democrats are in a moment of reflection,” said Emma Davidson Tribbs, founding director of the National Women’s Defense League. “Their response in the last few months has been markedly different than we’ve seen in years past. How far they’re willing to take it, we’ll see.”
Ms. Davidson Tribbs, with the National Women’s Defense League, is not letting Democrats off the hook. After tracking more than 400 accusations of sexual violence against state and federal elected officials, her organization concluded that comeuppance for an accused politician depends less on party affiliation than on whether his party is in power. Majority politicians, she said, have more to lose and are therefore less likely to call out a colleague.”
New York Times, Does a Sex Assault Claim Kill a Political Career? It Depends, July 8, 2026
“A recent survey by the National Women's Defense League found that more than 145 state lawmakers have been publicly accused of sexual harassment or misconduct since 2013, from both major parties. This time it's Democrats. Next time it might be Republicans. Both parties can and should do better. But it's worse when one party claims to champion women's voices, yet stays silent on their accusations until the political cost of silence gets too high.
USA Today, Platner drops out, doesn't admit wrongdoing. Just like Democrats. | Opinion, July 8, 2026
“The National Women’s Defense League has found that 40% of officeholders resign following sexual misconduct allegations. But of the 60% who do not, many wind up winning reelection – 80% at the state level and 93% at the congressional level. “It doesn’t seem to be disqualifying yet,” says Emma Davidson Tribbs, NWDL founding director.
The directors of NWDL say, it’s not just up to voters; it’s also about whether institutions are structured in a way that prevents and polices abuse. That can start with anti-retaliation laws and transparency efforts to ensure voters know if lawmakers are facing accusations. “The culture runs right into Congress, right off the campaigns,” says Sarah Higginbotham, a co-founder of NWDL. “If we can reform the institution itself, where we have these really strong levers, that’s part of the conversation.”
The Christian Science Monitor, When facing allegations of bad behavior, are there red lines for politicians?, July 14, 2026
“The women say their experiences with Swalwell came as he accumulated power in Congress, including a seat on the House Intelligence Committee, and allegedly continued well into his front-running push to become California’s next governor. His actions suggest a pattern of behavior that could have exposed him to blackmail or extortion,” said Emma Davidson Tribbs, a founding director of the National Women’s Defense League.
“It opens people up to a level of blackmail and influence that you don’t want a public servant to have,” Davidson Tribbs said. “This is a liability for democracy – it makes all of us less safe.”
CNN, As Swalwell’s public profile grew, more than a dozen women describe how he made them uncomfortable in private, May 4, 2026
“Lawmakers who resign are able to remove themselves from the ethics committee’s jurisdiction, while keeping benefits they accrued in office such as their pensions and privileges to enter the House floor.
“We get rid of the one bad apple, and then no policy change, no reforms. We are no longer concerned with the survivors who … now have to go through their day to day that’s just been completely interrupted,” said Emma Davidson Tribbs, NWDL’s founding director. “Resignation stops the immediate story, but it does not reform the system, and that’s really why NWDL is pushing for consistent, long lasting policy reform.””
The Guardian, Dozens of US lawmakers have been accused of sexual harassment, study finds, April 21, 2026
““Survivors do not trust the current system. That should tell us everything – if they are not using the system to report, then it is failing,” said Emma Davidson Tribbs, founding director of the National Women’s Defence League (NWDL), a non-partisan organisation that investigates sexual misconduct within government offices.
““This is a moment, it has happened very quickly and brought the issue back under the spotlight. But the next step is the task force and new legislation – that will determine whether this is the reckoning.”
The Telegraph, A new MeToo scandal is unfolding on Capitol Hill, May 27, 2026
“Let’s be clear: The #MeToo movement didn’t go away,” said Sarah Higginbotham, co-founder and co-director of the National Women’s Defense League. “But every accusation in these reports shows that the burden of coming forward, holding the powerful accountable, and demanding policies that will prevent sexual harassment and abuse still falls on survivors. It’s high time elected leaders of both parties come out of the whisper networks to show actual leadership and do their part.”
Bloomberg, Congress Has a Male Predator Problem. Here’s How to Fix It, April 23, 2026.
“It is an ongoing problem that there’s kind of a ‘get out of jail free’ card,” Davidson Tribbs said of lawmakers like Swalwell and Gonzales who were able to resign — immediately putting a stop to any congressional investigation into their alleged behaviors.
“You can resign with dignity, and then we stop a political tsunami. We don’t have to keep talking about this, and we can move on to the politics of the day,” Davidson Tribbs continued. “Resignation stops the immediate story, but it does not reform the system.”
The Huffington Post, Resigning Can Give Lawmakers A ‘Get Out Of Jail Free Card’ After Sexual Misconduct Allegations, April 21, 2026.
“Governments lack transparent tracking and reporting mechanisms, and actual instances are likely three times higher than what appears in the public record,” said Emma Davidson Tribbs, founding director of NWDL. “While we saw a reporting surge during #MeToo, the number of reports had begun to decrease.”
Roll Call, Johnson willing to ‘lead’ push for sexual misconduct overhauls, April 21, 2026.
“In the years following the #MeToo movement, NWDL co-director Emma Davidson Tribbs said, the number of people reporting workplace sexual misconduct has decreased. “The recent dip in public reporting is a warning sign. It signals distrust in accountability systems,” she said. After Swalwell and Gonzales’ resignations, advocates hope they can push this issue back into the spotlight.”
Mother Jones, There Are Eric Swalwells Across State Governments, April 21, 2026.
“The true scope of misconduct in Congress is likely far greater than what is documented here,” the National Women’s Defense League report. “Government reporting mechanisms typically reflect only those cases that result in formal investigations or public exposure, leaving a substantial portion of complaints—and experiences — unaccounted for.”
The Barbed Wire, It’s Not Just Tony Gonzales. Four More Texans Are in a New Report on Widespread Sexual Misconduct in Congress, April 22, 2026.
“This reporting reveals far more about the lack of trust in the systems, the lack of reporting, and why that is,” said Sarah Higginbotham, NWDL’s co-founder and co-director. “It’s not really a measure of how much sexual harassment there is. If these are the number of people who are making it this far, it’s probably three to four times that if not more.”
The 19th, Sexual misconduct by lawmakers is widespread — but often goes unreported, April 21, 2026.
“Employees of the city need to believe that the people reviewing complaints are truly independent of the officials involved,” Emma Davidson Tribbs, a co-founder of the National Women’s Defense League.
Tribbs and other advocates say it’s important to have a transparent system that’s open to public view, so employees and constituents can see that it’s working. “Every month of delay matters,” Tribbs said. “It sends a very clear message to employees who may be experiencing harassment today that any kind of meaningful change is not an urgent priority.”
Indianapolis Star, A year later, Indy council's harassment reforms stalled over victims' privacy concerns, July 9, 2026.
“By the time the two congressmen resigned, more than two dozen members had publicly called for them to do so or face expulsion. Sarah Higginbotham, co-founder and co-director of the National Women’s Defense League, said this is common in state legislatures and Congress — members don’t face consequences for harassment unless the body demands it.
“It’s left up to the whims of the body to force a vote — usually a historic vote, because they’re very rare — that would force a resignation,” she said. “It’s designed to not screw with politics, that’s what the system is set up to do. And it’s doing it very well.””
Roll Call, In Congress, ‘see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil’, April 14, 2026.
“There is currently a survivor and sexual abuse issue that is at the epicenter of national and global politics right now,” said Sarah Higginbotham, co-founder and co-director of the National Women’s Defense League. “I would like to say that I don’t know how much more evidence people need that this is something that should be prioritized.”
The 19th, Politics is shaken by a new wave of #MeToo reckonings, April 17, 2026.
“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.
