Melissa Richmond was an intern on Capitol Hill when a congressman invited her over to his house one evening to talk about her internship.
She never went. The internship? Disappeared.
For Ms. Richmond, her hopes of working on Capitol Hill disappeared with the job… that is, until she talked to Barbara Comstock and shared her story with someone who cared. From the advertisement:
She believed me – and she stood with me. Barbara is a fighter for women – and she is working across the aisle to stop this kind of abuse of power.
She’s passed landmark legislation to combat sexual harassment in Congress.
With zero tolerance… no more secret settlements… and no taxpayer bailouts for predators.
For those unaware of the previous practice, congressmen in Washington would actually have their settlements paid out at taxpayer expense. That is, until Barbara Comstock put a big bright spotlight on the issue and demanded some answers.
What is more, Comstock was leading on this issue long before “Me Too” arrived on the scene, which means that Comstock herself has a personal interest in making Washington a safer and more respectful place for women to contribute to the public square.
The interview had to be difficult for Ms. Richmond to agree to do. To have such a painful moment transformed into an advertisement? Even harder… but sometimes, it is courage like this that changes hearts and minds. When the evidence is clear, the testimony is powerful.
I know I’d want my daughters working for Comstock.
