SALT LAKE CITY — Following studies of alleged sexual harassment in opposition to girls concerned in native Republican celebration politics, the Salt Lake County GOP Chairman, Scott Miller, has resigned from his position.
In an electronic mail despatched to county celebration management Sunday morning, which was shared with FOX 13, Miller mentioned he had made a “mistake” in how he dealt with the allegations introduced forth by seven republican girls. He went on to say he was sorry and can be instantly stepping down from the county chair place.
Miller was shortly criticized Saturday after he despatched an electronic mail to Salt Lake County GOP delegates trying to discredit allegations of sexism and sexual harassment by Dave Robinson, the county GOP’s unofficial communications director.
One among Robinson’s accusers is Salt Lake County Council member Aimee Winder Newton. She posted a video to her YouTube account Sunday in response to Miller’s resignation, during which she says he was complicit in permitting Robinson’s habits to go unchecked.
“We had our celebration chair who was enabling somebody to make the most of girls in powerless conditions the place they have been known as horrible names and manipulated,” Winder Newton mentioned within the video. “I stood up for them final fall and paid a heavy value for the final six months I have been harassed and bullied as nicely.”
State GOP Chairman Derek Brown issued a prolonged electronic mail Sunday morning addressing Miller’s resignation. In it he calls Robinson’s habits “abhorrent” and calls out Miller’s complicity in failing to deal with the difficulty when it was dropped at his consideration.
“Earlier than ever talking with the press, these girls bravely raised their issues with county celebration management, and nothing was executed,” the assertion reads. “That’s unacceptable.”
Click here to read Brown’s full statement
The incident additionally dropped at mild allegations of sexual misconduct inside the Utah Democratic Get together from 2017. Sheryl Ginsberg, one in all a handful of girls who accused Rob Miller — the previous candidate for state Democratic Get together Chair in 2017 — of sexual harassment, mentioned she commends GOP management for his or her response to Robinson and Miller’s habits.
“I used to be thrilled to see that Governor Cox and Lieutenant Governor Henderson got here out immediately and supported the ladies,” she mentioned.
Ginsberg mentioned she needs the Democratic celebration would have executed the identical when she introduced her story ahead in 2017.
“For all of us, we completely assist the republican girls, and we stand with them, and I might’ve preferred to have seen that occur for us,” she added.
State Democratic Get together management confirmed with FOX 13 that the celebration has nonetheless not investigated the claims of sexual misconduct by Rob Miller in 2017. The UDP communication’s director, Joshua Rush, despatched an announcement to FOX 13 Sunday that reads,
“UDP members take harassment significantly. We have adjusted our guidelines as crucial to make sure that girls are protected. Our celebration has made adjustments to nip this within the bud, and we hope the Republicans do too. No girl ought to really feel unsafe operating for workplace, being concerned in celebration politics, or volunteering.”
The assertion echoes what high GOP management mentioned Saturday in response to the incident. Governor Cox and Lt. Governor Henderson issued a joint assertion saying they won’t tolerate the habits and, “won’t tolerate it, ignore it, or clarify it away.”
The Salt Lake County GOP is scheduled to have their 2021 organizing conference on April 10.
