A Washington state lawmaker, Emily Clouse, is being sued for allegedly bullying a male aide into a sexual relationship, making him run errands for her, and trying to fire him when he reported her behavior. The aide, who is not named in the lawsuit, claims that Clouse used her power to pressure him into the relationship and made him feel trapped.
According to the lawsuit, Clouse began a “mutually consensual dating relationship” with the aide after being elected as a commissioner in Thurston County, which includes the state’s capital, Olympia. However, the aide alleges that he felt unable to reject Clouse’s advances because of the power she held over him and that he found the romance “increasingly unwelcome.”
The aide claims that Clouse exploited him, making him drive her around, buy her food and drinks, and loan her cash, which he says she never repaid. When he tried to end the relationship, Clouse allegedly tried to fire him 30 minutes later and accused him of sexual assault.
The aide has also accused other Thurston County officials of trying to suppress his claims, allegedly asking him what amount of money it would take to make his claims go away. He was placed on administrative leave, which he claims made him feel guilty of wrongdoing.
The lawsuit seeks compensation for the aide’s “prolonged stress, physical harm, emotional distress, embarrassment, trauma, and humiliation” caused by Clouse’s alleged behavior. The suit also accuses the county of failing to take the initial claim seriously, leading the aide to file a second lawsuit seeking $750,000 in damages.
Clouse’s lawyer, Maia Robbins, has denied the allegations, calling them “fiction” and saying that they have been “dispelled by an internal workplace investigation.” However, the county has yet to release a report on the allegations, and Clouse remains on the board of commissioners, although she has been banned from representing the county in public.