‘I apologize publicly,’ governor candidate Nate Boulton says of accusations of sexual misconduct

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On Wednesday morning, state Sen. Nate Boulton, a Democratic candidate for Iowa governor, talked with Des Moines Register staffers, responding to allegations of sexual misconduct.

Tuesday afternoon, Register staffers told him that three women had accused him of touching them without their consent. All of the alleged incidents happened at bars, one in 2015 and two from his Drake University Law School days.

More: Nate Boulton suspends governor campaign after accusations of sexual misconduct

More: Three women accuse Iowa governor candidate Nate Boulton of sexual misconduct

Boulton was joined at the Register by his wife, Andrea Boulton, and several of his campaign staffers and supporters. He met with Register reporter Brianne Pfannenstiel, politics editor Rachel E. Stassen-Berger and executive editor Carol Hunter.

Below is a transcript of the interview.

Register: You’ve had some time to think about (the allegations). What is your reaction?

Boulton: “Well obviously this is embarrassing to discuss. But, I get it. I’m running for governor, and you’ve been approached by people that want to have this addressed, and I’m here to do that. I want to say it is not my place to give credibility or qualifications or anything else to what people have said they felt was appropriate or inappropriate. That’s for them to decide. All I can say is that if I crossed a line and people feel that way, I apologize. I apologize publicly, and I offer an apology directly.”

Register: A follow-up from that. Did these things happen?

Boulton: “So, I’m not going to add any context to anything. I think if I add context it quickly becomes victim-blaming, and I don’t want to go down that path. All I can say is if someone felt that I did something inappropriate, I apologize for that.”

Register: So, you don’t want to walk through any of these cases and talk about what the women are alleging?

Boulton: “If you want to share that, that’s fine. But I’m not going to dispute anything that someone has said or how they’ve felt about anything that I said or did. That’s not what I’m here to do. I want to make it very clear: This isn’t about my perspective. This isn’t about my position. This is about someone feeling like something happened that was inappropriate, and I respect that and I offer an apology.”

Register: In the last 18 hours, something like that, I imagine you’ve gone through your mind and said, you know, ‘What have I done over the years that may have made people uncomfortable?’ Are there other incidents that occurred to you that we have not confirmed?

Boulton: “So, this is a surprise to me. And obviously, yes. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking, and all I can say is you know, judging social interactions that happened three, five, 10 years ago — I think we’ve all learned a lot, especially men, in the last 10, five, three years, and the last year in particular. And all I can say is if there’s anything that I’ve done to someone that they feel inappropriate, I respect that feeling and I offer an apology.”

Register: One of the questions in a recent debate was what have you learned from the “Me Too” movement and what have you taken from it. Over the last year, you mentioned, do you think you’ve done some reflection over the things you’ve done and has it changed the way that you interact with women?

Boulton: “I would say, in particular, I’m very proud of the things that I have done as — in furtherance of, particularly workplace safety for women and actually standing up for victims of sexual harassment in the workplace. I think there’s a very clear, bright line that conduct in positions of power imbalance, conduct in employment settings, is absolutely out of bounds when it comes to sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation. And I’m proud to have stood against that in the courtroom. I’m proud to have stood against that in the Senate.

In terms of what this has added is, I think, the next layer of the conversation that needs to be had of social boundaries, and I think there is a discussion that we can and should have on that.”

Register: What about women who are concerned about you being governor and whether this behavior would continue?

Boulton: “I will assure anyone that I will be very clear that there’s no other threat of this happening. I take my role in the Senate very seriously, and I would take the role of governor very seriously. And I think as, again, we’ve learned a lot from the past year and the Me Too movement. I think I’ve learned from this coming forward, the first time that I heard anything like this, that there should be no concern.”

Register: The situations that were described yesterday, that was the first time you had heard anything like that?

Boulton: “The only thing that I have heard is the fact that rumors were going around, but no one has ever approached me about this. No one has ever in any way offered any form of complaint or anything like that.”

Register: But you’re not disputing these allegations, either?

Boulton: “I’m not here to say how any person felt about any situation. All I will say is that if someone felt that I acted inappropriately in a social setting, I accept that that’s how they felt. And I offer an apology.”

Register: But I think voters are going to want to know, did you grab this woman’s buttocks? Did you approach these women in bars and press your erect penis against their legs?

Boulton: “And I think all I can do is say, whether or not I can add context to that, if I do, it immediately becomes me blaming or excusing, and I don’t want to do that. And that’s what I’m here to do.”

Register: I’m sorry, but you’re not denying that these events occurred. Did these events occur?

Boulton: “So, I don’t have the same recollection. But I am not going to offer any additional context to this, other than to say if someone’s perspective is that it was inappropriate and I crossed a line and I misread a situation in a social setting, I do apologize.”

Register: If the conduct described were true, do you think that should disqualify someone for public office?

Boulton: “In a social setting, as it has been identified to me, I think there is a definite difference. I think there is room for a conversation to be had here. I think we all very clearly understand the bright line that exists in, again, those positions of power and influence. Those employment settings. I think in the social setting, there is room for a conversation to be had, and I hope this is a teachable moment for young men as this comes forward. But I also hope that there’s room for something between victim-blaming and life-ruining on both sides.”

Register: You talked about positions of power and influence. In this most recent allegation in 2015, I mean, you were already somebody in the community. You were a well-known attorney. How far does a position of power extend into social situations when it’s not in the workplace?

Boulton: “You know, I think that’s something we can have as a discussion. I do not feel like what I’ve been approached with, with this information, I was in any position where anyone would have felt that I had authority or undue influence over them.”

Register: You don’t seem — other than the specifics — you don’t seem surprised by these allegations and you’re clearly not denying they happened. You’re saying these are these women’s stories. Does it surprise you — it would surprise some men that there would be stories like this about them at all. You don’t seem that surprised?

Boulton: “I don’t seem that surprised for a couple of reasons. It’s been apparent that there’s been a story being investigated for some time. So, this is not the first I’ve heard this. It is the first that I’ve been approached by it. And so, all I can offer is that context to this.”

Register: Does the — do these allegations, now that they’ve come to your attention, change how you will operate your campaign through June 5?

Boulton: “I don’t believe so. I’ve been campaigning for a year talking about a vision that I have for Iowa and issues that are important to Iowans. And I think I owe it to those people who have supported me to have that vision tested at the ballot box.”

Register: How do you think people, your supporters, other than the ones in this room, will react to this?

Boulton: “I don’t know. We’ll find out. I hope they will understand that once I was approached with this, I was forthright about coming forward and having a discussion with you. I hope they understand that there is something more to be had for a discussion on these social boundaries as we go forward and hopefully that can take place.”

Register: So, what would you tell young men about those social boundaries now that you’ve been approached about this?

Boulton: “So, I think going forward, I think we all now understand more than last year, three years ago, 10 years ago, that absolute permission, absolute consent is important and is a requirement for physical contact. And I think that’s hopefully a lesson that can be learned from this. And I think hopefully another lesson to be learned is that by having this conversation, by understanding deeper, overall conduct will improve across the board.”

Register: (To Andrea Boulton, the candidate's wife) Do you have anything to add?

Nate Boulton: “I will just say this — she’s not running for governor.”

Register: That’s perfectly (fine), you don’t have to.

Boulton: “Yes. I’m thrilled that she is here. I am proud that she’s been very supportive. But we’re going to leave that.”

Register: Is there anything else you want to add that we didn’t ask you?

Boulton: “Just that it is surprising to me. I was surprised when I heard this rumor in the first place. I was surprised by the details that I’ve heard here. It’s an awkward conversation. It’s obviously embarrassing for me to be the one having this conversation. But it is important for us to discuss these social boundaries and issues, and I hope something positive can come out of this.”