DENVER – U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette alleges that former California congressman Bob Filner tried to kiss her in an elevator while they served in Congress together.
The Colorado Democrat told MSNBC’s “MTP Daily” on Monday that Filner tried to pin her against the elevator’s door and kiss her, but she pushed him away.
DeGette spokeswoman Lynne Weil said Tuesday the incident happened in 2009 or 2010. She said DeGette did not file a complaint but told her chief of staff and husband about what happened at the time.
Filner denied the allegation, saying in an email: “It never happened.”
Filner, a Democrat, served in Congress from 1993 to 2012.
He resigned as San Diego mayor in 2013 amid harassment allegations. He served three months of house arrest after pleading guilty in three cases – manhandling a woman at a fundraiser on March 6, 2013, kissing a woman without her consent at a “Meet the Mayor” event at City Hall, and grabbing a woman’s buttocks at a cleanup event.
DeGette said she’s concerned about people’s reluctance to identify sexual harassers in Congress because that allows them to continue the behavior.
“I was his colleague. He couldn’t take action against me and believe you me, I never got in an elevator with him again,” she said.
