Debra Katz Was Wrong about Paula Jones’ Case

American Thinker: If you are a woman with a sexual harassment claim against a man who is politically favored by Christine Blasey Ford’s attorney, Debra Katz, don’t hire Katz as your attorney.  In 1998, Katz stated that Paula Jones did not have a viable case against President Bill Clinton.  Soon thereafter, Jones’s lawsuit was dismissed before a trial could occur by federal Judge Susan Webber Wright, now known as Susan Webber Carter.  Katz’s statements were not vindicated by Carter’s ruling, because Carter’s ruling was wrong.

Jones’s lawsuit against Clinton included claims under federal civil rights laws and a claim under Arkansas tort law for intentional infliction of emotional distress.  The legal viability of Carter’s ruling that Jones’s claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress should not be heard by a jury rests on her statement that “the conduct as alleged by plaintiff describes a mere sexual proposition or encounter, albeit an odious one, that was relatively brief in duration, did not involve any coercion or threats of reprisal, and was abandoned as soon as plaintiff made clear that the advance was not welcome.”

The conduct alleged by Jones, accepted as true for the purposes of Carter’s ruling, includes the following: Governor Clinton had a state trooper escort Jones to a hotel suite; the trooper told Jones he had a gun when asked; after a few minutes of small talk in the hotel room alone with Clinton, he asked her about her job and mentioned that Dave Harrington, Jones’s ultimate superior within the state agency at which she worked, and a Clinton appointee, was his good friend.

Clinton then unexpectedly reached over to Jones, took her hand, and pulled her toward him, so that their bodies were close to each other; she removed her hand from his and retreated, but Clinton approached her again and, while saying, “I love the way your hair flows down your back” and “I love your curves,” put his hand on her leg, started sliding it toward her pelvic area, and bent down to attempt to kiss her on the neck, all without her consent.

Jones then exclaimed, “What are you doing?,” told Clinton that she was “not that kind of girl,” and walked away from him.  Jones was extremely upset and confused and, not knowing what to do, attempted to distract Clinton by chatting about his wife.  Jones then sat at the end of the sofa nearest the door, but Clinton approached the sofa and, as he sat down, lowered his trousers and underwear, exposed his penis (which was erect), and told Jones to “kiss it.”  Jones was horrified by this, and she jumped up from the couch and told Clinton she had to go.  Clinton, while fondling his penis, said, “Well, I don’t want to make you do anything you don’t want to do” and then pulled up his pants and said, “If you get in trouble for leaving work, have Dave call me immediately, and I’ll take care of it.”

As Jones left the room (the door of which was not locked), Clinton detained her momentarily; looked sternly at her; and said, “You are smart.  Let’s keep this between ourselves.” 

Clinton’s advances to her were unwelcome; she never said or did anything to suggest to him that she was willing to have sex with him; and during the time they were together in the hotel suite, she resisted his advances, although she was stunned by them and intimidated by who he was.

When Clinton referred to Dave Harrington, Jones understood that Clinton was telling her that he had control over Mr. Harrington and over her job and that he was willing to use that power.  From that point on, she was fearful that her refusal to submit to Clinton’s advances could damage her career and even jeopardize her employment.  more here