A top North Carolina Democratic Party official has reportedly been identified as the accused perpetrator in a sexual harassment claim made by a former staffer.
Jay Parmley, North Carolina’s Democratic Party executive director, has been accused of sexual harassment by Adriadn Ortega, a former communications staffer for the state party, according to a report by the J.W.P. Civitas Institute.
An email chain The Daily Caller previously obtained didn’t name the alleged perpetrator or the victim, but confirmed the existence of the alleged sexual harassment, a financial settlement paid to the victim and that Parmley and the victim had signed non-disclosure agreements. Civitas has since reported the names of those involved.
On his Twitter account, Parmley describes himself as an “all around good guy and a Democrat!”
North Carolina Democratic Party spokesman Walton Robinson has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
At least one Democratic Party official in North Carolina revealed apparent concerns about the same-sex nature of the allegations going public, which could pose a political conflict with the party’s attempts at defeating an anti-gay-marriage ballot amendment.
In an email to state Democratic Party chairman David Parker, North Carolina Democratic statehouse candidate Watt Jones said this sexual harassment looks bad for Democrats.
“With a Democratic Party which is suppose [sic] to be fighting to defeat Amendment One [which describes marriage as between one man and one woman] on the May 8 ballot, yet we have this in Goodwin House?,” Jones said. “How does that look?”
Parmley, the accused harasser according to the Civitas report, is still employed by the Democratic Party.