Elected Officials Unwilling to Speak Out on Fresolo Allegations

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Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Steve Balestrieri, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

The investigation launched by Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo by the House Ethics Committee into "serious allegations" against a House member, which sources say is state Rep. John Fresolo (D-Worcester) and involves explicit photos on a State House computer, has thus far failed to generate many comments from his fellow legislators, nor women's organizations in the area.

One of the few voices to be heard on the issue thus far is Congressman Stephen Lynch who released this statement through his campaign spokesperson, Conor Yunits, "Congressman Lynch takes these allegations very seriously. He will wait until any investigation is complete before making judgments."

Fresolo is under investigation for allegedly transmitting explicit photos of his private parts to the computer of a female staff member at the Massachusetts State House approximately two weeks ago. After doing an initial review of the allegations, Speaker DeLeo acting under House Rule 16, directed the House Committee on Ethics fully investigate the allegations.

Calls made to the National Organization for Women, as well as Sen. Elizabeth Warren's office in Washington D.C. among others have not been returned. Warren is one of the leading voices for women's issues and rights in the country. The expected backlash of outrage in this latest scandal against women has barely rippled across the landscape.

Grace Ross a local long-time advocate for economic and social justice, reached on Monday afternoon stated, "If the allegations are true it is a very serious sexual harrassment case and it is very important to set the standard for this type of behavior."

Rumors that Fresolo were going to resign last week in response to the charges were premature. A group has formed calling for Fresolo to resign has opened a page on Facebook.

This issue is similar to that of the case of former Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner who used the social media website Twitter to send a sexually explicit picture to a 21 year-old woman in Seattle, Washington. After initially denying the allegations, Weiner later confessed to this and other sexually explicit photos sent to women both before and during his marriage. He resigned from Congress on June 16, 2011.

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• Three Worcester Diocese Priests Defrocked Over Abuse Allegations

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