WARNING: Some images in this post may be considered slightly NSFW, because that’s the low standard of professionalism that *some people* who work in our state’s Capitol adhere to these days, apparently.
Multiple social media posts from state Sen. Randy Baumgardner, a Republican who’s been repeatedly accused of sexual misconduct, reveal that he is, in fact, a total creep.
In what should come as a shock to absolutely no one given the multiple credible complaints of sexual harassment against him, Baumgardner is one of those guys who use social media to ogle photos of scantily clad women.
See the Facebook posts below, which Baumgardner liked last year, but again, be warned: they’re slightly NSFW.
It’s unclear if Baumgardner actually knows any of these women personally, given that he didn’t respond to a phone call requesting comment.
And then there’s this Tweet that ColoradoPols.com highlighted in 2016. He appears to have accidentally included other photos he’d saved on his phone, including one of a woman posing in skimpy clothing. It’s not his wife, in case you were wondering.
Here’s why this activity shouldn’t be shrugged off: Baumgardner is already a known creep after being accused of grabbing and making sexually suggestive comments toward multiple women at work, accusations which were found to be credible by an outside investigator. And yet, his Republican colleagues in the Senate decided not to expel him, citing a lack of evidence despite that investigation’s findings.
To be fair, the fact that Baumgardner likes photos of women in revealing clothing isn’t that big of a deal – and his social media activity certainly pales in comparison to his alleged abuses. But taken in combination with those allegations, these posts help paint a picture of the kind of person Baumgardner is – namely, a gross creep who shouldn’t be allowed to work at the Capitol, and whose continued presence there should make literally everyone uncomfortable.
Colorado Democrats led the initial charge to expel Baumgardner, and now they’re renewing those efforts following a more recent investigation into Baumgardner’s behavior that validated additional complaints against him.
As investigator Kathryn Miller explained in the report, “Baumgardner engages in an unsettling pattern of inappropriate and offensive behavior toward women consistent with his reputation described by [two witnesses].”
The report also includes anonymous statements from a former Republican lawmaker, who said it’s common knowledge at the Capitol that Baumgardner is referred to as the “boob grabber,” a nickname meant to reflect how “his hands brush against a woman’s breasts after a hug or when he puts his arms around her shoulders and under her breast.” This unnamed source also said he personally witnessed Baumgardner being too “tight and/or clingy” while hugging female lobbyists.
Speaking of too tight and/or clingy…
That’s pretty much exactly how I’d describe this photo of Baumgardner squeezing a young woman’s waist during a photo:
A closer look…
Again, this photo alone isn’t all that egregious. But given Baumgardner’s reputation as the “boob grabber,” it carries a special significance.
The woman in the photo could not be reached for comment, but if it were me, I’d be wishing this man would promptly remove his hand from directly under my boob. Note that the man on the left has managed to keep a much safer distance, because, to be frank, it’s really not that f*cking hard to figure out.
