Obama: There's No 'Mechanism' For Revoking Cosby's Medal Of Freedom
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) — President Barack Obama responded Wednesday to calls that comedian Bill Cosby be stripped of the Presidential Medal of Freedom he received 13 years ago following a recent outpouring of sexual misconduct allegations.
"There's no precedent for revoking a medal," he said. "We don't have that mechanism. And as you know, I tend to make it a policy not to comment on the specifics of cases where there might still be, if not criminal, then civil issues involved.
The president went on to condemn acts of rape.
"I'll say this: If you give a woman – or a man, for that matter – without his or her knowledge, a drug, and then have sex with that person without consent, that's rape," Obama said. "And I think this country, any civilized country, should have no tolerance for rape."
The Medal of Freedom is "the nation's highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors," according to the White House website.
Cosby received the honor in 2002 from then-President George W. Bush.
Since that time, more than 40 women, some of whom live in Southern California, have accused Cosby of rape and/or other forced sexual acts. The 78-year-old TV icon has never been criminally charged, and most of the accusations are barred by statutes of limitations.
Los Angeles attorney Gloria Allred, who represents several women accusing Cosby of sexual assault, says the president can - and should - revoke the Medal of Freedom. She says that if the president was the one who awarded the medal then it shouldn't be that difficult to undo that action.
"The president has not yet cited any legal reason why it could not be done," Allred said. "If all it takes is a mechanism to do that, then I would hope that the executive branch would begin work on such a mechanism, and if the White House does not do it then the Congress should pass a resolution supporting such a mechanism and suggesting guidelines to be followed to create such a mechanism.
"... I know that the president cares about women's rights, and the right of women to be free of drugging and rape is a right that I am certain that the president would want for his wife, his daughters and all women wherever they might reside," Allred said.
"Unfortunately, many women were not safe from Mr. Cosby and were denied their right to dignity which the U.S. Supreme Court has recently declared to be an important right. It is time to find a way to revoke the award of the Medal of Freedom to Bill Cosby."
Black civil rights leaders on Thursday called on the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to remove Bill Cosby's star from the Hollywood Walk of Fame, saying it could become a "walk of shame" if his name remains on the storied sidewalk.
Many of the activists largely remained neutral in the controversy until last week's revelation of court documents obtained by The Associated Press from a 2005 deposition, where Cosby admitted under oath to obtaining quaaludes with the intent of giving them to women with whom he wanted to have sex.
"The answer is no," Chamber President/CEO Leron Gubler said. "The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a registered historic landmark. Once a star has been added to the Walk, it is considered part of the historic fabric of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Because of this, we have never removed a star from the Walk."
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