‘Willful coverup’: Democrat in key House race hit with ethics complaint that could derail campaign
Democratic House candidate Janelle Bynum, running for Congress in Oregon’s 5th Congressional District, has been hit with an ethics complaint alleging a “willful coverup” of a sexual assault of a minor volunteer. The complaint, filed with the state’s Legislative Equality Office, claims that Bynum failed to report the allegations and even threatened the individual who brought the information to her attention.
Bynum’s campaign has responded, stating that she flagged the accusations directly to the accuser’s employer, Future PAC, and has openly aided the Legislative Equity Office’s investigation into the matter. However, text messages between Bynum and her former campaign manager suggest that she may have been dismissive of the allegations. The Oregon State Police have also received an initial complaint regarding the matter, but the nature and scope of their investigation are not yet known.
