Inouye died in 2012 after serving 48 years in the Senate. NYT: Inouye made Gillibrand quip

One of the senators who made comments to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand about her appearance has been identified as the late Sen. Daniel Inouye, according to a report.

The New York Times on Monday identified Inouye as one of the unnamed senators mentioned in Gillibrand’s recently released memoir who made comments about her weight and appearance.


In the book, Gillibrand said that one senator in particular held her waist and said: “Don’t lose too much weight now. I like my girls chubby.” The Times on Monday reported that senator was Inouye, according to “people with knowledge of the incident.”

( Earlier on POLITICO: Gillibrand: Peers called me 'porky')

The Hawaii Democrat died in 2012 after serving 48 years in the Senate. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service in World War II and was the first Japanese-American to serve in Congress.

In 1992, Inouye faced allegations from his hairdresser — who worked for him for several years — that he forced her to have nonconsensual sex with him. The Senate Ethics Committee eventually dropped the investigation into the incident.

Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, has refused to name names of the senators whom she says sexually harassed her, saying it would detract from the larger point about the ongoing challenges women face in the U.S. The senator has made legislative efforts to combat sexual assault in the military and on college campuses.