Just days after Kristi Noem was caught consorting again with her formerly forsworn campaign advisor and accused sexual harasser Corey Lewandowski, the Nebraska Examiner reports that the man Noem has endorsed in Nebraska’s gubernatorial race, Corey and Kristi’s mutual pal Charles Herbster, faces accusations of sexual harassment. One of the accusers is Herbster’s own Republican State Senator:
During an event in 2019, for example, Republican State Sen. Julie Slama confirmed that as she walked by Herbster, he reached up her skirt, without her consent, and touched her inappropriately. The incident happened in the middle of a crowded ballroom at the Douglas County Republican Party’s annual Elephant Remembers dinner.
At the time, Slama had been recently appointed to the District 1 legislative seat representing southeast Nebraska. Herbster owns a farm and a house in the district.
Another person attending the 2019 event saw Herbster reach up Slama’s skirt and had told the Examiner about it. That witness and two others said they saw Herbster grope another young woman on her buttocks at the same event.
When the Examiner asked Slama on Monday if the two incidents at the event had been described accurately, and whether Herbster had touched her under her skirt, Slama said: “Yes, confirmed,” but declined to discuss the incidents further [Aaron Sanderford, “GOP State Senator, Seven Other Women Say Charles Herbster Groped Them; He Denies Allegations,” Nebraska Examiner, 2022.04.14].
Seven other women report Herbster playing grab-ass or forcing a kiss. The women say the incidents took place in 2017 or later. The women were in their late teens to mid-20s at the times of the alleged incidents. Herbster turns 68 this year.
The women describe aggressive behavior that sounds like Herbster is cribbing Lewandowski’s modus groperandi:
One witness said he saw Herbster grope a woman during a large conservative gathering and was appalled. The witness, a combat veteran, asked the woman if she wanted him to intervene. She asked him to restrain himself because she didn’t want to cause a scene.
…A few of the women said Herbster placed himself in their exit path after events, making it difficult to leave without talking to him. One called it “creepy and controlling” [Sanderford, 2022.04.14].
Check the parallel with GOP donor Trashelle Odom’s account of Lewandowski’s aggression against her in Las Vegas last September:
According to a statement provided by an Odom family attorney, Lewandowski allegedly remarked on the size of his genitalia, described his sexual performance and showed Odom his hotel room key. After the incident, Odom told people that Lewandowski repeatedly spoke about sex while using expletives.
Attendees also observed Lewandowski growing physical with Odom.
Odom left the room but was soon followed by Lewandowski, who remarked that she had a “nice ass,” according to the statement from her attorney and another attendee who heard the comment. Lewandowski also “threw his drink at Mrs. Odom, and it landed all over her shoe and the bottom of her dress,” and “called her stupid,” her attorney stated [Alex Isenstadt, “Trump Donor: Corey Lewandowski Made Unwanted Sexual Advances,” Politico, 2021.09.29].
It’s bad enough being a sneaky perv copping a feel; it’s even worse pursuing sexual gratification and domination openly and aggressively, with apparently no concern that the people around you will say or do anything to stop you. But as Herbster would say with a nod to his favorite President, “great” minds do think alike.
Herbster, who traipsed around Nebraska yesterday with another sleazebag, denies the allegations as (campaign manager Ellen Keast’s words) “100% false and baseless.” But Noem dumped Lewandowski when she witnessed Lewandowski engaged in similar behavior on just one occasion. If Noem hears eight women corroborating stories of similar behavior by Herbster, will she find she has to distance herself from yet another Republican male bully?
“Elephant Remembers Dinner” the event is aptly named.
Seems appropriate here:
@JamesTate121
Someone on Quora asked “Why do some British people not like Donald Trump?” Nate White, an articulate and witty writer from England wrote the following response:
A few things spring to mind. 1/15 tweets
rump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem.
For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honor and no grace – 2/15
Spot on, sadly hilarious. Most of us knew this prior to voting him in. Not grdz. Applies to Kristi’s mentor, Trump, John’s mentor Mitch….
Elitist? “‘he seems like my kind of guy’ is a matter of some confusion and no little distress to British people, given that: Americans are supposed to be nicer than us, and mostly are. You don’t need a particularly keen eye for detail to spot a few flaws in the man. 11/15”
Man Cory, you sir, have hit the nail on the head “Lewandowski’s modus groperand” good one. Maybe NOem kinda likes that rough play….:
Seems to be a LOT of pent up sexual frustration in the RepubliQan ranks!
So once again our governor has endorse someone who seems to like groping women, that sounds familiar. She has accepted the endorsement ( after she endorse him) of another man who has said he likes to grab women by pussy. She also accepted help for her political endeavors from another guy who has sexually harassed woman in a public setting in Veg. It seems that our governor associates a lot with guys who could be considered pedophiles. Is that someone who we would want as a governor, someone who seems to surround herself with sexually predators & invite them to the state?
I’m sure kristi doesn’t mind the groping as long as she remains the center of attention. That said
when the attention turns to someone younger and prettier, only then it becomes a problem in mind.
Jerry, I’m always happy to please my Latin-language fans. ;-)
No statement from Noem yet, but 14 Nebraska State Senators have issued a statement this morning saying Herbster’s actions are “completely unacceptable” and “render him unfit to serve.”
Governor Noem, would you care to comment?
Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts, who has been campaigning for Herbster’s opponent Jim Pillen, says Herbster’s behavior is “beyond horrible” and says Herbster should “seek treatment.”
$20 says Chuck Herbster wants a shot at the cocaine fueled orgies Republicans are raving about.
groping, grooming, groveling, what’s the difference? I always go home alone…
Herbster’s assertion of power over women’s autonomy, the assertion that their bodies are object to serve his pleasure, speaks to his political values… the kind of values we need to root out of a government that is supposed to be based on the equality of all citizens.
Grooming is erroneously used by magats to disparage LGBTQ people.
Well…I can never trust these guys who aren’t working cowboys but insist on wearing their expensive cowboy hats everywhere…inside buildings, churches, theaters you name it. I don’t get it but it must have something to do with dominance or a feeling of inadequacy, or some other psychological screw that has come loose. That they are groping in a crowd seems to signal they are on the make for a little “hit and run”. You’d think this Herbster fellow at 68 years old would have sated his weirdness by now but when you’re twisted its hard to unkink. Governor Noem should vet her endorsees and political advisors a bit more carefully, but judgement is not her long suit.
Loren,
We need to find a sexual frustration expert to confirm that sexual frustration comes from the fact that a person is so unappealing that no women with engage with them. Any suggestions?
The help he will need to seek is a defense attorney. I hope these victims are filing a criminal report for sexual assault because that is what it is.
Sounds like a Trumpian thing to me. The way they operate, quickly, unexpectedly, and forcefully is what gets them off. They do it in a crowd or public place and that gives them thrills. Almost all women are thrown off guard, stunned into silence, and if no one saw it, they don’t say a thing.
This isn’t new folks; it happens all the time. This perp deserves more for punishment than a woman seeking an abortion. But he’s a white man who happens to be a Republican and this is how low this scum gets.
Aren’t these people vetted?
Maybe the NE perv got his hand up the Governors skirt, and she liked it, only the snow queen can answer that question.
Kristi Noem has never supported the Violence Against Women Act and if her #metoo abusers were Democrats she’d be singing like a cardinal. Kristi Noem is a MILF. Is she compliant, infidelitous, or simply a jaded career politician who’s used to trading her favors for advancement? Republican former South Dakota Secretary of State Shantel Krebs was driven from South Dakota politics for outing Noem as a philanderer.
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-to-stump-for-nebraska-candidate-facing-groping-allegations/
It takes a groper to stump for a groper. Now we’ll see if Noem gets invited to serial groper round table.
Herbster accuser was sued for defamation by Herbster and her lawyers countersued.
https://www.rawstory.com/charles-herbster-countersuit/
She was the only person named who said Herbster reached up her dress.