U.S. Rep. Tom Reed Accused Of Sexual Misconduct By Female Lobbyist
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- U.S. Rep. Tom Reed is facing accusations of sexual misconduct.
Reed, a Republican from western New York, is accused of rubbing a female lobbyist's back and unhooking her bra, without her consent, at a networking event in Minneapolis in 2017.
Nicolette Davis told The Washington Post that Reed appeared to be drunk as he pawed at her back and leg while the two were seated next to each other at the event.
Reed fumbled with her bra before pinching the clasp through her blouse and unhooking it, then moved his hand to her thigh, she said.
Davis, who was 25 and on her first trip as a junior lobbyist for insurance company Aflac, said she texted a friend and co-worker that "a drunk congressman is rubbing my back."
"HELP HELP," she texted, before the person seated on her other side responded to her request by pulling Reed out of the restaurant, according to her account, published Friday.
Reed declined an interview request, but in a statement released by his office, he said, "This account of my actions is not accurate."
Reed is among New York's members of Congress calling for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign over sexual harassment allegations from several women.
In response to the #MeToo movement, Reed said sexual harassment training was a basic requirement in his office, and that he had taken it. He also backed bipartisan legislation in 2018 requiring lawmakers to be personally liable for settlements resulting from harassment.
The statement provided by Reed's office said: "I stand by my record."
Commenting on the allegations against Cuomo last month, Reed had said, "these incidents of sexual harassment and pattern of abuse are abhorrent and have absolutely no place in our society, let alone the highest rungs of government."
In late February, Reed said he was seriously considering running for governor against Cuomo.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)