A bombshell letter from the former North Carolina Democratic Party (NCDP) communications staffer to now-former NCDP Executive Director Jay Parmley detailing the allegations of sexual harassment has surfaced.
In the letter, dated Dec. 8, 2011 — which local news outlet WRAL first published with redactions of alleged victim Adriadn Ortega’s name — Ortega alleges that Parmley “frequently gave me unwanted shoulder rubs despite my verbal objections” and that Parmley “often solicited my opinion on his clothes.”
“He would point both hands to his crotch area and ask me how his crotch looked in those pants that day,” Ortega wrote, adding that Parmley “would frequently pretend to punch my crotch and make a popping noise with his mouth.”
“On July 28, 2011, the executive director discussed, in detail, his sexual activities from the past when he was living in South Carolina,” Ortega then said. “In addition, he discussed in detail his sexual activities from when he moved to North Carolina, where he solicited sex from gay websites such as [REDACTED].”
The next day — on July 29, 2011 — Ortega alleged that Parmley “showed me a picture of a penis.”
“And, on September 6, 2011, during the drive back from the DNC Kick-Off in Charlotte, the executive director reached back several times from the driver’s seat and caressed my leg,” Ortega added.
Ortega said he raised concerns about this behavior — which he described as sexual harassment — with Parmley on Oct. 1, 2011. Two days later, he went to former NCDP Executive Director Scott Falmlen to discuss the behavior as well. Ortega said Falmlen described him as a “valuable employee,” but Parmley turned around and fired him on Nov. 21, 2011. (RELATED: NC Dem. chairman defies governor, refuses to resign in wake of sex scandal)
In the letter, Ortega said he believes he was “fired in retaliation for my complaints of sexual harassment.”
Ortega then said he would sign a “separation agreement, confidentiality agreement and release” on the condition that he got a financial settlement package. The package he requested to stay quiet was a “provision of severance compensation equal to one year’s pay” and “with regards to health insurance, NCDP will cover the cost of my COBRA for one year or until I find employment with health coverage, whichever comes first.”
The exact value of the financial settlement package Ortega received for signing the non-disclosure agreement he later signed is at this point unclear. NCDP officials have continually refused to answer questions about it.
NCDP spokesman Walton Robinson has not responded to any of The Daily Caller’s requests for comment on this scandal, and did not answer when asked for comment about this letter.
After TheDC broke this story last week, Parmley resigned on Sunday. Since then, a chorus of high-profile Democrats have demanded the immediate resignation of Parmley’s boss, NCDP Chairman David Parker. North Carolina’s Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue, the highest profile official to demand Parker’s resignation, admitted that she has been aware of the allegations of sexual harassment since “late last year.” She called for Parker’s resignation only after telling a reporter who asked about the scandal to “get over it
Late on Wednesday, Parker defied Perdue and publicly refused to step aside amid the scandal and subsequent appearance of a cover-up. “There was no cover-up and that the personnel matter was professionally and appropriately handled by the party’s attorney using the highest ethical standards.”
Before this new letter surfaced, Perdue responded to Parker’s public defiance and refusal to resign by saying that wasn’t acceptable. According to local news reports, Perdue said Parker “needs to go.”
Brad Crone, a North Carolina Democratic campaign consultant, told TheDC that he thinks this letter proves even more so that Parker needs to resign.
“This story is spiraling out of control and is damaging the party in ways we cannot imagine,” Crone wrote in an email. “I do not understand how Chairman Parker is willing to put himself before the interest of the party. The Democratic Party is bigger than one person, it’s sad that Chairman Parker doesn’t realize that fact. This letter is devastating and shows a real lack in judgment in managing the senior staff. Clearly, it’s time for Chairman Parker to resign and do it now.”
White House spokesman Eric Schultz, Democratic National Committee spokesman Brad Woodhouse and Obama re-election campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt have not returned any of TheDC’s requests for comment on the issue.
Even so, Obama is scheduled to visit North Carolina next Tuesday. “Next week we’ll find out whether or not he has the support of President Obama,” North Carolina GOP spokesman Rob Lockwood told TheDC.
