According to a report by the Washington Post, Montgomery County Council At-Large candidate Brandy Brooks said Monday that she has no intention of withdrawing from the upcoming election. Brooks paused her campaign on April 13 after allegations came out that she sexually harassed a former campaign staff member.
Brooks released the following statement on April 13 announcing that she was taking a two week “period of reflection.”
“Starting today, I am taking a period of two weeks to care for myself and reflect with my trusted advisors about an ongoing issue. One month ago, a member of my staff team approached my campaign manager with a report of a hostile workplace environment caused by me. Because we on the campaign take such issues very seriously, my team immediately took measures to pause all contact between the staff member and myself and to enter into formal mediation with the staff member to determine how to address their concerns. While a mediated agreement was developed and the terms of that agreement executed, increasingly inaccurate and malicious reports of my behavior are spreading within our community.
I believe that accountability must be based in honest fact-finding with the goal of seeking the truth. For decisions about my character and leadership to be made with such prejudice prior to any process is the very opposite of justice, by any definition. I am very proud of what our team of supporters, volunteers, and advisors have been able to accomplish over the last 15 months. While I am taking a momentary break, the campaign is not ending. I remain committed to the vision we’ve been building for Montgomery County.
My team and I are seeking to be as transparent as possible in light of this sensitive personnel matter. You can contact my campaign manager at 301-678-9327 or michelle@brandy4moco.com if there are further questions.”
According to the article, “the now former employee, who is 27 and uses they/them pronouns, said Brooks’s inappropriate overtures continued for months and that she perpetuated a “pattern of sexual harassment” — a charge that Brooks, 45, denies.”
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