AP

Hillary Clinton responded Friday to a New York Times report about a top adviser she had kept on staff after he allegedly sexually harassed a fellow staffer by saying she was “heartened” that the woman had come forward.




In a pair of tweets on Friday, Clinton said she was “dismayed” upon learning of the harassment that reportedly occurred during her 2008 presidential campaign, but that the victim was heard, and “had her concerns taken seriously and addressed.”






In a follow–up to that tweet, Clinton said she had contacted the woman after the story broke to “tell her how proud I am of her” and that she deserves to be heard.



The Times reported that Burns Strider, who was Clinton’s faith adviser and founded the American Values Network, allegedly had repeatedly sexually harassed a 30–year– old staff member with whom he shared an office. He also reportedly sent her harassing emails.

Instead of being fired, which aides had recommended, Strider was docked several weeks of pay and ordered to undergo counseling. He never attended that counseling, the newspaper said. The woman was moved to another office.




Later, Strider was hired to lead a group called Correct the Record, created by David Brock—whose political network currently is running ads seeking dirt on porn stars and Donald Trump—to support Clinton’s 2016 presidential candidacy. He was fired from that job months later over allegations that he harassed another woman who worked as an aide.



In a statement to the Times, the law firm that represented Clinton’s 2008 campaign said, “To ensure a safe working environment, the campaign had a process to address complaints of misconduct or harassment. When matters arose, they were reviewed in accordance with these policies, and appropriate action was taken. This complaint was no exception.”

