Will this scandal affect her?
Allegations in a 2019 lawsuit against Doug Emhoff, Vice President Kamala Harris’ husband, claim that he retaliated against women who rejected his flirtations and hired an assistant deemed unqualified based on her appearance. The lawsuit was filed against Emhoff’s former law firm and has resurfaced in media discussions, drawing attention to his past behavior.
Emhoff and Harris met in California through mutual acquaintances and have been married since 2014. He has two children from a previous marriage, which he acknowledged ended primarily due to his affair with their teacher. Reports vary, with some stating the teacher became pregnant and had an abortion, while others mention she suffered a miscarriage.
Recent coverage, including an article from The Daily Mail, alleges that during his tenure as head of the Los Angeles office of the Venable law firm from 2006 to 2017, Emhoff would target “young, pretty girls.” Former colleagues described his workplace behavior as “inappropriate” and “misogynistic.” An anonymous staff member recounted an incident where Emhoff reportedly shouted, “get the f–k out of my office” at a female partner and later bragged to male colleagues about having “put her in her place.” Another former employee indicated that Emhoff had a reputation for being flirtatious with female staff and that those who did not respond favorably to his advances ended up on a “s–t list” and faced retaliation.
The lawsuit was initiated in August 2019 by former legal secretary Marjan Rabbi, who accused two partners at the firm of sex discrimination and harassment. Although Emhoff is not named as a defendant, the suit alleges that he hired an assistant referred to as “Katya” for being “young, attractive, and friendly with powerful men” in the office. It is speculated that this assistant may be Katya Calderone, who was hired around the time of Emhoff and Harris’ marriage.
In addition to these allegations, another report surfaced accusing Emhoff of slapping a former girlfriend during the 2012 Cannes Film Festival after he believed she was flirting with another man. Sources close to the woman described the incident, stating that Emhoff reacted after seeing her place a hand on a valet’s shoulder, which he misinterpreted as flirtation. According to friends of the woman, she retaliated with a slap of her own, and both had been drinking prior to the confrontation. One friend remarked that the incident was memorable enough to end their relationship immediately.
