From: Nm nasnva --

Sent: Wednesday, My 11, 2013 .16 PM
To: NM DaSilva

Subject: Statement

Attachments: Aqsmememjnal Draft docx
Importance: High

wease find the final draft for my statement anached. Please let me know ifthere are any grammaucal errors or phrases
that need to be changed/strengthened/enm'mamd.

Thanks!

it has been a little over a week since the story first broke about the Attorney General?s behavior at Al?s
Lounge this past March, and I?ve been following it closely. It?s a funny thing to watch your story be told
by others, to be put on display, to be twisted and paraphrased and to have assumptions made about
your intentions. i cannot blame the public for this, or even the media for that matter, because they were
not there for the incident. They were not there in the months after. But I was there, at Lounge, and
so was the Attorney General, Curtis Hill. This is my story and my reaction to the public comments made
regarding the incident so far.

If you?ve read the memo, you may know me already as, "Employee My real name, however, is Niki
DaSilva. I?ve worked for the Senate Republican Caucus for a relatively short time. I started as an intern in
my last full semester at where I served as the Student Body President for two terms. ironically,
campus safety was a pillar of my tenure and I considered myself to be a staunch advocate for
eradicating sexual violence on college campuses through the It?s On Us campaign.

After Sine Die, the end of the legislative session, I headed to Al?s with some co-workers. When I arrived,
I headed toward the bar where three of my female colleagues were standing. We stood, leaning against
the bar and chatted while waiting to be served when the Attorney General, Curtis Hill, came up behind
us. was surprised to see him there, as Sine Die is usually just a way for legislators, staff and lobbyists to
join together in celebration of the work from the last three to four months. However, Attorney General
Hill seemed rather gregarious this night and asked us what we were doing at the bar. When we
answered that we were waiting to order a drink, Attorney General Hill, without hesitation remarked,
?Ah come on ladies! You haven?t figured out how to get a drink yet? You?ve got to show a little skin!? In
that moment, my mouth literally fell open. Did the Attorney General reallyjust tell us, tell me, to "show
a little skin?? 3 turned to my colleagues and asked for them to confirm what my brain couid not believe
my ears had heard. They acknowledged both verbally and through nodding that he did indeed tell us to
show some skin. irritated but not wanting to cause a fuss, I moved closer to the edge of the bar
top so that i could put some distance between myself and the hovering Attorney General. Two of the
girls left with their drinks leaving just me and one other co?worker who had moved into one of the high-
top chairs next to the Attorney General.

I went to leave to join another group when I noticed my co-worker's eyes widen, signaling me to come
over. When i got close she whispered, ?Piease don?t leave me alone with him. He?s being really weird.? i
couidn't leave her there by herself so I positioned myself between her and the Attorney General as a
buffer. Afterjust a few moments of standing there, Attorney General Hill put his hand on my back. i was
taken aback by this gesture as we had never held a conversation before that night. I felt his hand start to
slide slowly down my back. I didn?t want to bring attention to this so I tried to push his hand away
inconspicuously using my free hand. When our hands met, instead of taking this nudge as a cue to
remove his hand from my iower back, he grabbed my hand toward my wrist and moved it over my butt
with his hand before releasing me. He looked at me with a grin on his face and continued his
conversation. I stared at the ground, the bar top, my friend, anywhere but in his direction. Luckily, soon
after that, my co-worker and I found an escape route and moved from the area.

i was ashamed and frustrated. How could a man that did not even know my name feel like it was
appropriate to put his hands on my back, or anywhere else on my body for that matter? wanted to yell,
to tell someone and I did, but then i thought, what can do really? Sol dismissed it. Over the next few
days, I mentioned it here and there but realized that while most people thought it was unacceptable, no

 

one, including myself, thought that anything would happen if we tried to address it. This is the Attorney
General we are talking about here. The highest law enforcement officer in the state. How do you hold
someone like that accountabie?

On May 15*, Representative Candeleria?Reardon, knowing I had been at Al?s that evening, told me that
she had filed a complaint with the Speaker of the House, Brian Bosma, and that she wanted there to be
support for anyone else who may have been in a similar situation. This was the first time i felt like
anyone was taking this seriousiy, and it was the first time that I realized that it wasn?tjust me. He had
been doing these things to multiple women throughout the night. When Senator Long was informed of
the situation, he immediately called Speaker Bosma to address the situation. From there they began the
interviewing process with the individuals involved. When I was interviewed, they wanted to know my
account of the night, as well as what would like to do moving forward. They let me know that they
would support any decisions that I made and respect my wishes. i believe that our legislative leadership,
in all four caucuses, have done just that.

To my knowledge, none of those involved wanted to make this a public ordeal. What we wanted was for
the Attorney General to recognize and reflect on his inappropriate behaviors, and for actions to be taken
to ensure that these sort of incidents would not happen in the future. No one wants to be remembered
for being associated with a sexual harassment case. Not as the victim and not as the assailant. The
legislative leadership were not trying to hide the investigation because they didn?t want to ?iook bad.?
They were keeping the internal investigation confidential because it is what we, the victims, asked for.

When the memo was leaked, the House and Senate leaders, who had promised us this confidentiality
were furious and rightfully so. They had given us their word and now someone had taken the liberty to
break those vows without consent. At first, I too was upset, nervous, sick almost. it left me wondering
what would happen next?

in hindsight, it seems that this is exactly what needed to happen. There is an obvious difference in the
way the Attorney General and I, along with the other women, have interpreted these incidents, and his
responses give little indication of any remorse for how his choices have impacted others. He has called
our stories false and denied any wrongdoing. He blames us for being anonymous and trying to smear his
good name. His supporters, among other things, have called this a witch hunt on a strong ?rising star? in
the Republican Party.

Let me be clear: This is not a witch hunt, nor is it a political issue. This is an issue of respect, safety and
basic human rights.

The inappropriate and inexcusable behaviors exhibited by Attorney General Hill were
experienced by multiple women of both political parties, from both chambers and in varying positions
within the legislature.

Regardiess of political party, race, gender, sexual orientation, how you are dressed or what environment
the situation occurred in; Sexual harassment is sexual harassment.

The inappropriate and inexcusable behaviors exhibited by Attorney General Hill were
experienced by multiple women of both political parties, from both chambers and in varying positions
within the legislature.

 

Our stories individually, surely could cause doubt in the minds of many. However, when these stories
are weaved together, like the fibers in a rope, they stand as a strong and deliberate pattern of
unacceptable behavior.

Attorney General Hill stated that a week ago he had a name. I believe that he still has a name and it is up
to him to define it, whether that be through humility or defiance.

i?d like to close by saying, at the end of the day there is one point that the Attorney General and agree
on in this situation: All people are deserving of respect and all peopEe are deserving of due process. i too,
welcome the independent investigation by the Inspector General.