When the American Accountability Foundation was founded two years ago, our mission was simple: to act as a watchdog and scrutinize politicians, political appointees, and government organizations to ensure they act in the best interest of the American people. We have investigated presidential nominees as well as members of Congress, examined their records, and rooted out corruption. Last month, however, we found ourselves facing an unprecedented issue when the Washington Post reported that local leader Susanna Gibson participated in a pornographic livestream with her husband, and may have broken the law in the process.
In addition to performing sex acts on camera for money, Ms. Gibson promised her audience that she would involve hotel staff in her videos without their consent – provided the viewers pay up. Ms. Gibson’s actions were not just morally reprehensible – they were potentially illegal. Threatening to expose herself to hotel workers qualifies as harassment, and depending on the extent of her actions, it could even qualify as assault.
Unfortunately, hotel workers have long been victimized by sexual predators. This issue has become so prevalent that state and local governments nationwide have passed legislation to implement panic buttons in hotels to protect staff in dangerous situations. These laws should not be necessary, but because of individuals like Susanna Gibson, they are absolutely vital. Hotel employees – like everyone else – should be able to feel safe at work. They should never have to worry about being harassed or assaulted while simply doing their jobs.
The fact that a local leader would harass hotel workers for her own perverse financial gain is unthinkable. The videos reported on by the Washington Post and other outlets depict troubling, potentially illegal behavior. The videos also raise serious questions about what other disturbing activities Ms. Gibson may have engaged in.
As a result, AAF has sent a formal letter to Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and Virginia State Police Superintendent Colonel Gary T. Settle demanding a full investigation into Susanna Gibson and her potential crimes. Credible evidence suggests that her sordid actions did not start and end with a few videos, and if she committed other crimes, she must be held accountable. If Ms. Gibson put anyone at risk, if she harassed innocent workers, or engaged in non-consensual sexual acts, Virginians deserve to know, and her victims deserve justice.
Ms. Gibson chose to have a public-facing career, and in doing so, she opened her private life to scrutiny. As a leader in her community, she must be held to a high standard, and Virginians deserve to know the truth that can only be revealed by completing a full investigation into these troubling revelations.
Tom Jones has two decades of political, policy, research, and investigations experience serving in senior legislative and investigatory positions on Capitol Hill as a Senate staffer and as an opposition researcher for campaigns at the local, state-wide, and presidential level.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
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