Associated Press: Political lobbyists denounce harassment by state senator

03.21.2022 / By Morgan Lee
Associated Press: Political lobbyists denounce harassment by state senator

Heather Ferguson, a co-signor of the letter and executive director of Common Cause New Mexico, said that Ivey-Soto referred to her and a female colleague by the nickname “Lips and Hips” in 2016. “We walked into a meeting with him,” Ferguson said. “He said, ‘Here comes Lips and Hips.’” Ferguson said she told Ivey-Soto the nickname was sexist and degrading, and that he repeated it later.  She described a “toxic culture” at the Legislature, praised Anaya’s courage for filing a formal complaint and said greater whistleblower protections are needed.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A Democratic state senator is coming under new pressure to resign or be removed based on new allegations of groping, sexist comments, and yelling and cursing at women, in an open letter Monday signed by 10 political lobbyists and advocates.

The letter urges leading state senators to move forward with an investigation against Democratic Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto related to earlier allegations of sexual harassment by political lobbyist Marianna Anaya, and summarizes eight additional episodes involving alleged mistreatment of women by Ivey-Soto in varying levels of detail. …

Heather Ferguson, a co-signor of the letter and executive director of Common Cause New Mexico, said that Ivey-Soto referred to her and a female colleague by the nickname “Lips and Hips” in 2016.

“We walked into a meeting with him,” Ferguson said. “He said, ‘Here comes Lips and Hips.’”

Ferguson said she told Ivey-Soto the nickname was sexist and degrading, and that he repeated it later.

She described a “toxic culture” at the Legislature, praised Anaya’s courage for filing a formal complaint and said greater whistleblower protections are needed.

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