This is a difficult article. Here you have a person, who as a staffer says she was raped by a Republican member of the Assembly, Bill Brough. Then when she reported it to her boss, he did nothing. Finally, when the situation became public, State Senator John Moorlach claimed he knew nothing about it and that she was a “bad employee”. Then a former State Senator reminded him he knew about months before. Then her personnel records became public showing Moorlach wanted a raise for her, since she was an outstanding staff member.
Sexual abuse is wrong. Period. Whether by a Democrat or Republican it is wrong. It should not be condoned, covered up or the rape victim made into a victim again by the media or a politician. The State Republican Party protected Bill Brough—the voters threw him out of office. If the Establishment refuses to act like an adult, then the voters need to do so.
A Rape Victims Viewpoint—Trish Todd
By Patricia Todd, Exclusive to the California Political News and Views, 3/5/21
Until one has walked in my shoes, one cannot fathom what I have endured the past couple of months. My friends and family repeatedly ask how I have coped since going public with the rape and sexual assault by former Assemblyman Bill Brough in 2015. My response has been, “I don’t some days.”
Reliving the details, encountering nightmares, wondering what friends and family thought about the secret I was forced to keep silent about for the past five and half years does sometimes become overwhelming.
The physical harm I endured was only part of the pain. When I learned about the lies and smears being told about me, it reminded me the #MeToo Movement was precisely about my current journey. Victim shaming, being silenced and publicly judged not only reinjured me, but frightened those who have yet to come forward, those who are still too afraid to use their voice and share what happened to them.
When I first reported the rape through tears and the fear of sharing this information, I naively believed my supervisor, Tim Clark, Senator Moorlach’s Chief of Staff, would go to the senator and help me get care and involve the proper authorities. Instead I was told to be silent and report it to no one.
I also thought once my criminal complaint was public, I would receive a phone call or some type of personal contact or a sympathetic, “Are you okay?” or “What can I do to help you?” from Senator Moorlach. Instead the tables were flipped like an episode from The Real Housewives and my personal integrity and character were attacked. I was lied about by Senator Moorlach to people who had never met me. This included the entire Orange County Register Editorial Board. Senator Moorlach made completely false claims about me being a bad hire, a disgruntled former employee and the puppet of union bosses, which then became the new twist in the current Orange County 2 Supervisor race.
I often wondered how someone can view themselves in the mirror and claim to be “Christian” when their behavior is the complete opposite of Jesus’ teachings. For the record, I am in possession of my entire Senate personnel file. I released it to the public and press. It shows the exact opposite of the lies shared about me. I sent an email on January 12, 2021 asking for proof of what was said. I was willing to sign a release. What did I hear in return? Deafening silence! Clearly, these are signs of someone so caught up in a bed of lies that saying nothing is all that can be said.
If one looks, there are sixteen photos on Senator Moorlach’s Senate Facebook page that include my image. If I was a horrible staff member or disgruntled employee would an employer would keep these on social media? For the record, I have never been disgruntled or embittered. I am, however, bewildered by the behavior of people whose actions and words are at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to doing the right thing.
When I left Senator Moorlach’s employment, I received a Senate Resolution which praised my professionalism, legislative expertise and went on to say I was an asset. For those unfamiliar with State Capitol traditions, when legislative employees following years of public service leave or retire, it is symbolic for their legislative member to speak about their years of service, ask their family to attend session and bestow upon them a Resolution during a presentation on the Senate Floor. Senator Moorlach chose to recognize my years of public service through the mail.
Political vanity and personal ego can cloud the mind and allow one to do and say things they will regret later. The words, “I am sorry” or “I was wrong” can be difficult words for narcissists to use, but in this case are necessary. One cannot claim to detest sexual assault then victim shame. One cannot claim to be a person of valor then turn their head and choose to not do what is right. One cannot claim to know what it has been like for me because their opinion of themselves is so high they cannot even see my shoes let alone know what it is like to walk in them every day.
Patricia Todd
