Harassment allegations against ex-Nolan staffer surface in governor’s race
Several liberal groups are calling on U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan, a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, to leave the governor’s race after reports of sexual harassment allegations about an ex-staffer in his office.
The allegations, reported in MinnPost on Thursday, center around former staffer Jim Swiderski, who several women said grabbed and harassed them in Nolan’s office and was allowed to leave in 2015 instead of face disciplinary actions. In 2016, Swiderski was briefly hired back as a contractor on Nolan’s re-election bid.
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TakeAction Minnesota, which is actively supporting Murphy’s campaign for governor, held a press conference Friday calling on Nolan to leave the race.
“He is choosing to do nothing, he chose to do nothing when women came to him in his office. Congressman Nolan is making the wrong choice and he’s the wrong choice for Minnesota,” Elianne Farhat, program director with TakeAction, said. “It’s time for him to step down. State law doesn’t allow Nolan to be removed from the ballot at this point in the race, Farhat said, but Swanson can “clearly communicate” the path forward for her ticket.
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