Democrat Elizabeth Esty won’t seek reelection amid scrutiny of chief of staff’s departure

Adapted from a story by The Washington Post’s Elise Viebeck.

Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-Conn.) will not seek reelection, she announced Monday. The decision comes after The Washington Post revealed she took months to remove a top aide accused of harassing a colleague.

In May 2016, Esty learned that Tony Baker, who had served as her chief of staff for more than a year, threatened to kill former colleague Anna Kain, whom he allegedly mistreated when she was his subordinate on Esty’s staff.

Baker remained in his job for three months after Esty learned of the allegations and ultimately departed with a letter of recommendation and a small severance payment.

After Esty’s actions became public last week, national Republicans and Connecticut Democrats called for her to resign. On Monday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) endorsed a call by Esty for the House Ethics Committee to conduct an expedited review of her handling of Baker’s departure. Pelosi did not call on Esty to resign.

Esty, a three-term congresswoman, said in a statement that her decision to resign was “in the best interest of my constituents and my family.”

“Too many women have been harmed by harassment in the workplace,” Esty’s statement read. “In the terrible situation in my office, I could have and should have done better. To the survivor, I want to express my strongest apology for letting you down. ... In my final months in Congress, I will use my power to fight for action and meaningful change.”

The alleged harassment

On May 5, 2016, Baker left a voice mail for Kain, a former Etsy aide who he had once dated.

Kain, who provided a copy of the recording to The Washington Post, alerted the police, filed a report for felony threats and obtained a 12-month restraining order against Baker.

According to emails obtained by The Post, Esty found out about the episode within a week.

Rather than firing or suspending Baker, the congresswoman consulted her personal attorneys and advisers, she said. She also spoke to Kain on May 11, emails show; Kain said she provided detailed allegations that Baker had punched, berated and sexually harassed her in Esty’s Capitol Hill office throughout 2014, while she worked as Esty’s senior adviser.

Baker, through friend and spokesman Andrew Ricci, denied he punched Kain but did not challenge her other allegations.

Later, Esty enlisted a friend, former chief of staff Julie Sweet, to look into Baker’s past behavior, emails show.

Baker did not leave for three months. By his last day on Aug. 12, according to documents Esty provided to The Post, he and Esty had co-written a positive recommendation letter he could use in a job search and signed a legal document preventing her from disparaging him or discussing why he left. Baker went on to work for Sandy Hook Promise, the gun-control group created after the 2012 shooting in Esty’s district. He was dismissed from the group this week after The Post contacted him.

The controversy over Esty’s handling of Baker’s dismissal was first reported by the Connecticut Post.