Political lynch mob circles Mayor Filner

By Donald H. Harrison

SAN DIEGO — Evidently Assembly Majority Leader Toni Atkins, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, San Diego City Council President Todd Gloria and Vince Hall, who resigned Friday as Mayor Bob Filner’s chief of staff, are privy to information they don’t feel the public is entitled to know.

All four of these powerful Democrats on Friday joined the ranks of those calling for Filner’s resignation, Gonzalez telling a press conference that she has talked to some unidentified women who were “physically and verbally harassed in the work place” by the mayor.  However, she gave no details and the women thus far have not come forward.

Atkins, who joined her at the press conference, said if Filner cannot declare his innocence, he should step down as mayor.  She added that she was concerned that the “mayor’s ability to lead this city has been compromised.”

In response, Filner issued a statement late Friday saying that while he had acted inappropriately toward members of his staff, he was innocent of sexual harassment.

Atkins, Gonzalez, Gloria and Hall placed themselves  in the same ranks as three Republicans on the City Council who previously had called for Filner’s resignation: Kevin Faulconer, Lorie Zapf and Scott Sherman.

We probably shouldn’t be too surprised by Gonzalez’ stance; she is, after all, the sister of Marco Gonzalez, one of the attorneys who on Thursday appeared at a press conference with former City Councilwoman Donna Frye to allege that incidents of sexual harassment by Filner had occurred and to call on Filner to step down.  The other lawyer at that press conference was Cory Briggs.

Following the Frye press conference, Filner distributed on Thursday a videotaped  apology in which he said he had misbehaved towards women–without giving any specifics– and promised to enlist help to reform his behavior.  Any hope he might have had to staunch the criticism of his actions ended with the Friday press conference by the two Assembly members, Hall’s resignation, and the resignation call from Gloria, who would become the acting mayor if Filner steps down.

Meanwhile, City Attorney Jan Goldsmith–who has battled Filner on numerous other fronts — said that so far he has received no specific information, or claim, or name of any alleged victim of Filner’s rumored misdeeds.

The atmosphere around City Hall was not unlike that of a lynch mob, in which rumors have been substituted for facts,  and hearsay is offered instead of evidence, apparently in an effort to poison public opinion against Filner.  Meanwhile, news organizations were out in the field polling San Diegans on whether they thought the mayor should resign.

And still, as the frenzy of the media following in the lead of self-interested politicians continues,  we, the voters,  are not given one shred of evidence.  Not one person who would like to topple the mayor is willing to stand up and give us the details.  Why don’t the alleged victims speak up?  Are they afraid that they would be subject to retaliation from the mayor?  That fear is ridiculous.  Filner is  under the microscope.  He is going to be as circumspect as possible.   So what is it really that these alleged victims are afraid of?   Could it be that they are making political mountains out of personal molehills?

The public has a right to know.

We, the public, should not stand for this attempted coup d’etat by political insiders.  We must demand facts, facts, and more facts.   And if the plaintiffs and their lawyers and high-powered political allies refuse to produce those facts, then we have to assume that Filner’s admitted misbehavior–whatever it was — did not sink to the level to warrant his resignation.

It’s been a tough, humiliating week for Bob Filner.  But I hope he will remain steadfast in the mayor’s office, concentrate on the city’s business, and force those who would trade in innuendo to come clean with the voters.

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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World.  He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com