So One of Your Friends Has Been Accused of Something Shitty

You’re disappointed. You’re upset. You’re also in a position to do even more harm.

Over the last three months, members of the King County Democrats, as well as concerned members of the Democratic political spectrum who were not members of the organization (like me*), have fought an uphill battle to find some semblance of justice.

A man in a position of great power was refusing to take a seat, to step aside. Bailey Stober was accused of, at best, sexual harassment and discrimination. But after speaking to survivors who would not go on the record, I’m certain that he committed much more egregious acts than that. This man also has a documented history of financial mismanagement, of intimidation, and of poor leadership.

And yet—in spite of screenshots, in spite of fines, and in spite of the numerous testimonies—a lot of people still stand by his side.

He’s their friend, they say. And now he’s running for a different office and they can’t wait to support him. They firmly believe that he was the victim of an unjust witch-hunt, that he was persecuted. That the more than 200 individuals who called for his resignation just didn’t get it.