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Fourth woman accuses George H.W. Bush of sexual assault
Kara Zupkus
2 minutes
A fourth woman has come forward accusing former President George H.W. Bush of sexual assault.
Amanda Staples, a former Republican state Senate candidate in Maine, published an Instagram post that accused Bush of fondling her in 2006. Staples said that Bush “grabbed my butt and joked saying ‘Oh, I’m not THAT President,'” during a visit with him at Walker’s Point, a longtime summer home of the 41st president.
“I can only imagine how many women have had their butt grabbed in a photo op,” she continued, adding that if she were to have a daughter, “I’d never tell her to shrug it off because he was president.”
Staples said in the post that the incident did not leave her “jaded” or “damaged”, but has made her think about “the abuse of power”.
This accusation is the earliest reported incident, prior to when Bush was in a wheelchair.
Staples’ accusation follows days of allegations against the former president, as two actresses and an author came forward detailing alleged sexual assault incidents.
Bush, who is now 93 years old with a form of Parkinson’s disease, has not publicly addressed the allegations. However, his office released statements earlier in the week.
“To try to put people at ease, the president routinely tells the same joke – and on occasion, he has patted women’s rears in what he intended to be a good-natured manner,” Bush's spokesperson, James McGrath said in the latest statement. “Some have seen it as innocent; others clearly view it as inappropriate. To anyone he has offended, President Bush apologizes most sincerely.”
Fourth woman accuses George H.W. Bush of sexual assault
Kara Zupkus
2 minutes
A fourth woman has come forward accusing former President George H.W. Bush of sexual assault.
Amanda Staples, a former Republican state Senate candidate in Maine, published an Instagram post that accused Bush of fondling her in 2006. Staples said that Bush “grabbed my butt and joked saying ‘Oh, I’m not THAT President,'” during a visit with him at Walker’s Point, a longtime summer home of the 41st president.
“I can only imagine how many women have had their butt grabbed in a photo op,” she continued, adding that if she were to have a daughter, “I’d never tell her to shrug it off because he was president.”
Staples said in the post that the incident did not leave her “jaded” or “damaged”, but has made her think about “the abuse of power”.
This accusation is the earliest reported incident, prior to when Bush was in a wheelchair.
Staples’ accusation follows days of allegations against the former president, as two actresses and an author came forward detailing alleged sexual assault incidents.
Bush, who is now 93 years old with a form of Parkinson’s disease, has not publicly addressed the allegations. However, his office released statements earlier in the week.
“To try to put people at ease, the president routinely tells the same joke – and on occasion, he has patted women’s rears in what he intended to be a good-natured manner,” Bush's spokesperson, James McGrath said in the latest statement. “Some have seen it as innocent; others clearly view it as inappropriate. To anyone he has offended, President Bush apologizes most sincerely.”
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