lamag | Influential California politician Willie Brown inserted himself into Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign this week, penning an op-ed for the San Francisco Chronicle detailing
his romantic relationship with her in the 1990s. The relationship was
never a secret, but the public acknowledgement ignited new criticisms of
Harris. Commentators began to imply she benefitted professionally from
the personal relationship, possibly even only getting to where she is
today because of their liaison.
Willie Brown was a fixture in
California politics for years, serving as speaker of the state assembly
for 15 years, and known as something of an unofficial deal-maker and
influencer. He first met Harris in 1994, when she was an assistant
district attorney in Alameda County. He was 60 years old at the time,
and had been estranged from his wife, Blanche Brown, since 1981.
In
his capacity as speaker, Brown appointed Harris to two political
positions. The first was a six-month appointment to the California
Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board; the second was a role on the
Medical Assistance Commission, a body tasked with negotiating contracts
to control Medi-Cal costs. At the time, Brown had a reputation for
filling many openings with his personal associates and inner circle;
when Harris vacated the Appeals Board gig, he replaced her with his
longtime buddy Philip S. Ryan.
Harris ended the relationship–which
was conducted in the open and frequently reported on at the time–in
late 1995, shortly before Brown was sworn in for his first of two terms
as mayor of San Francisco.
0 comments:
Post a Comment