Government report details allegations of sexual harassment against Mel Watt

A federal employee alleged to federal investigators that Mel Watt, the former North Carolina congressman who now runs the Federal Housing Finance Agency, has sexually harassed her 17 times, according to a 73 pages summary of a survey report obtained by Washington. To post.

The report from the US Postal Services Bureau describes the 17 incidents, including one in which Watt reportedly said he would like to see a picture of the woman in a bikini. The investigators said they spoke to several other people who said the woman had told them about the alleged incidents, but the summary of the investigation report did not draw any conclusions.

The report was produced by the US Postal Services Bureau after the Equal Opportunities Office at FHFA, which oversees important aspects of the mortgage market, sought help from an independent agency that was investigating on the allegations. Postal investigators, in turn, submitted a copy of their report to FHFA on August 13, according to the cover page of the report.

The employee, Simone Grimes, publicly accused Watt last month. She said she prevented her from receiving a promised raise when she rejected her advances. Grimes filed a complaint against FHFA in a federal district court last month and his allegations are also being investigated by the Inspector General of the FHFA.

Watt has already denied the allegations when they made their first appearance in a July report to Politico, before Grimes made his allegations publicly. When asked for a comment for this story, FHFA spokeswoman Megan Moore referred to a July statement: "The selective leaks related to this case are obviously intended to embarrass or lead to an unfounded or political conclusion. However, I am satisfied that the ongoing investigation will confirm that I have done nothing that is contrary to the law. "

According to the investigation report, Watt refused to be interviewed during the investigation citing the advice of his lawyer and arguing that as a presidential candidate, he did not fall under the "anti-harassment policy". From the FHFA.

Moore declined to comment on whether FHFA has taken action based on the report. A spokesman for the office of the postal services investigation also declined to comment.

The independent report was produced by the postal service on behalf of the FHFA Equal Employment Office after Grimes' complaint in May. It includes a summary of the testimony of two people interviewed by investigators who said Grimes told them about the alleged harassment. Their names have been expurgated from the report obtained by The Post. The report also notes that Grimes began recording conversations with Watt in 2016 and provided investigators with tapes and transcripts.

Grimes lawyer Diane A. Seltzer Torre said the FHFA needed to move faster to respond to the allegations.

"When a month goes by and there is a radio silence – no sensitization to me or her to discuss the next steps – it's painful," she said . "In a case like this, being ignored after your complaint has been investigated can be as destructive as sexual harassment."

Grimes, a supervisory program management analyst, continues to work at FHFA under Watt.

Watt joined FHFA in 2014 after spending more than ten years in Congress.

In an interview, Grimes, an employee of the senior agency, said that Watt had brought a "personal touch" to the job and that their first interactions were enjoyable. "I was excited about some of the initial changes that took place," she said. "He did a lot of good for a lot of people."

The report indicates that the harassment began when Watt, 72, approached Grimes, 44, at a party held in 2015. Grimes told investigators that she was standing at a table with some food. 39 other employees when Watt took her and an attraction between them that needed to be explored, "according to the report.

Over the next two years, according to the report, Watt repeatedly asked Grimes to meet him outside the office, including inviting him to his North Carolina vacation home, restaurants, club Blues Alley and at home. Grimes' told investigators that she had accepted several meetings to respond to her complaint that she was underpaid after assuming some of the responsibilities of another employee who had been promoted, says the report.

"The issue of pay is one that's close to my heart and I'm not the only one who's got it," Grimes said in an interview. "It was very revealing to me. I hope that other women will look into their salary. "

"I think the federal sector should be the only place that should be a standard-bearer for equal pay," she said.

When she complained about the pay gap, Grimes said that she had said that Watts was the only person able to solve the problem but that he was dragging his feet. But when Watt organized meetings to discuss the issue, the subject was often quickly turned to her attraction to her, Grimes says.

In February 2016, Grimes said that she had returned from vacation in South Africa and Watt asked her to arrange a private meeting to discuss her trip. According to the report, they met at the FHFA cafeteria where Grimes showed Watt several pictures of his trip.

Grimes said Watt said, "I would not like to see pictures of you, especially in bikinis," according to the report.

In November 2016, Grimes again met Watts outside the office, this time at his home. They first discussed how to solve Grimes' compensation problem, according to his statement to the investigators, and Grimes asked for assurances that Watt was not expecting anything in exchange for a promotion.

Grimes told investigators that "Director Watt acknowledged his repeated refusals and continued to state that he could" draw the line "but also remind him how beautiful and beautiful she was and that he could not Prevent it from attracting it, "says the report.

The report also includes a summary of interviews with two people who said Grimes had told them about Watt's progress. One of them, identified as a financial analyst of the FHFA, said that Grimes had told him that "the director Watt had met her and interrogated her," according to the report.

The analyst told the investigator that she later asked Grimes "if she had spoken to director Watt. Simone said that she had spoken to him and told him that she was not interested and wanted her advances to stop, "the report says.

A spokesperson for the Inspector General of the FHFA could be reached to comment on the progress of this investigation.