Burns Strider, the Clinton campaign faith adviser demoted but not fired for sexual harassment in 2007, displayed similar inappropriate behavior toward women at Clinton super political action committee, Correct the Record, according to a report.
Two young female direct subordinates of Strider's at Correct the Record, tasked with defending Clinton in the press ahead of her 2016 presidential bid, told BuzzFeed this week about experiences they had with Strider during his 18-month tenure at the organization that were comparable to the 2007 complaint lodged against him while a member of Clinton's 2008 campaign team.
The first woman, who wished to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, said Strider repeatedly commented on her appearance, touched her constantly, sent suggestive emails and text messages, and monitored her whereabouts between 2013 and 2014 when she worked at Correct the Record.
In one example, Strider rubbed her shoulders while working at event in Mississippi in February 2014 in the presence of the employee's mother.
"I just felt like if you want to work in politics, you have to be tough enough to endure this,” the woman said of the culture of the communications shop. “I felt embarrassed quitting.”
Strider did not deny the complainant's account, per BuzzFeed.
“I've come to realize that those terms in the workplace are not preferred, by and large,” Strider said via the telephone on Saturday. “At the time, there were certainly terms I [used]. It's just something I have to broadly apologize for.”
A second former subordinate at Correct the Record said Strider made analogous remarks about her looks between 2014 and 2015 before she resigned.
The woman recalled one evening in early 2015 when she and Strider shared an Uber on the way home from a networking dinner.
When the pair arrived at the staffer's home, Strider allegedly got out of the car and kissed her goodnight on the nose.
Strider said he did not remember kissing her on the nose, adding it was more likely he had kissed her on the forehead.
The employee's lawyer, Ari Wilkenfeld, said his client supported the #MeToo movement “and the women who have come forward across a vast array of industries."
“It’s very intimidating to open yourself up to such scrutiny like this, but it is essential,” Wilkenfeld said.
A 2015 internal review into Strider's misconduct by American Bridge, Correct the Record's parent entity, resulted in his departure from the organization.
Strider — who sent Clinton scripture readings each morning during the 2008 campaign — was demoted, had to forgo pay, and was made to seek counseling after a staffer alleged he had harassed her in 2007, the New York Times first reported.
Strider had inappropriately massaged her shoulders, kissed her forehead, and sent her inappropriate emails, the 30-year-old woman claimed.
Strider is still an active figure in Democratic politics, including through American Values Network, the 501(c)(4) group he founded in 2010.
