Young women on Capitol Hill have learned to navigate Washington’s booze-soaked social scene with the help of informal “whisper networks” that flag which lawmakers to steer clear of, according to a new report from The Bulwark.
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Off-hours drinks are a fixture of the capital’s power ecosystem, where a bar conversation can yield a job, a scoop, or a career-making connection. But for younger women, the report found, the same rooms carry the risk of harassment, sometimes from prominent members of Congress.
One female staffer said a congressman groped her at a Washington bar, and that she got away by swapping seats with a male colleague. She would not name him, citing fear of reprisal.
“It was a moment notable, in part, for its commonness. In ways big and small, younger women in D.C. make calculated decisions to minimize their risk of harassment by powerful political figures, and they rely on whisper networks to know which lawmakers to be more vigilant around,” the report said. “Some of their bosses—or the power-players they interact with or report on—are known for having too much to drink, others for cheating on their wives. Some are known for both.”
To manage the risk, women trade quiet guidance about which men to avoid being alone with, and which ones grow handsy or unfaithful once the liquor flows.
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“There are just a few members who, whether it’s that they like to have a drink or they like to have affairs . . . there are people who’ve just sort of been like, eh, you don’t wanna be last at the bar with that guy,” a congressional staffer told the outlet.
The report pointed to disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) as a case study. Swalwell’s drinking reportedly grew so worrisome that the House Intelligence Committee had aides monitor it on overseas trips and asked foreign governments not to serve him straight liquor at official lunches. Swalwell, who did not respond to the outlet, resigned from Congress this year after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct, allegations he has denied.
The report comes as Maine Senate nominee Graham Platner, accused of sexual assault by former partner Jenny Racicot, suspended his campaign this week. He also denied the allegation.
Staffers told the outlet the drinking-fueled scandals feel far from over, even as women say they refuse to cede the bar and let it become a men-only path to advancement.
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