In a stunning turn of events, Oregon Congressional candidate Janelle Bynum is facing explosive allegations that she willfully ignored claims of sexual assault against a member of her 2022 campaign staff. The bombshell revelations have rocked the hotly contested race for the state’s 5th District, with national Republicans seizing the scandal as a potential game-changer.
The allegations first surfaced in a complaint filed with the Oregon Legislature’s Equity Office in July by Kelie McWilliams, the former campaign manager for Bynum’s Democratic primary opponent, Jamie McLeod-Skinner. In the explosive filing, McWilliams claims that Bynum covered up the sexual assault of a minor volunteer who worked on her 2022 legislative campaign.
“During the 2024 primary election, I was contacted by an informant with information about Rep. Bynum and her willful coverup of a sexual assault of a minor volunteer who worked for her campaign during the 2022 cycle,” McWilliams wrote in the complaint.
But Bynum vehemently denies the accusations, dismissing them as a blatant smear campaign orchestrated by her political rivals. The 49-year-old lawmaker insists she immediately reported the allegations to the Future PAC, the Democratic campaign committee overseeing staffing for Oregon’s legislative races.
“As a mom, I am concerned when anyone reports, especially when young people report, an incident of harassment at work, and so I reported what I was supposed to report and counted on the employer to do their investigation,” Bynum told reporters on Tuesday.
The complaint, however, paints a different picture, alleging that Bynum’s response to the allegations was “extremely dismissive.” In a series of text messages in the filing, Bynum threatens one of her campaign staffers, who raised concerns about the accused staffer’s behavior.
“Are you threatening me?” Bynum asked the staffer after he vowed that the issue “won’t be the last you hear of it” if the accused staffer was hired elsewhere.
Bynum’s campaign maintains that the candidate was following protocol by referring the matter to Future PAC, the employer of the accused staffer. But the text exchanges suggest a more troubling dynamic at play, with Bynum seemingly more concerned about the fallout than the well-being of the alleged victim.
The complaint itself is also short on specifics, relying mainly on secondhand accounts and social media posts that accuse the unnamed staffer of inappropriate behavior with underage girls in the past. No criminal charges have been filed, and the legislative equity office declined to investigate the matter further, citing a lack of direct evidence.
Nevertheless, the allegations have proven a potent political weapon for Bynum’s Republican challenger, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, whose campaign has wasted no time pouncing on the scandal. In a scathing statement, former GOP gubernatorial candidate Christine Drazan denounced Bynum’s alleged actions as a “political coverup of potential criminal misconduct.”
“It’s an outright failure to protect a minor in an incredibly vulnerable situation,” Drazan said. “They deserved better. Women in Oregon deserve better.”
For her part, Bynum has sought to weather the storm, insisting she has been a steadfast advocate for women and survivors throughout her political career. Her allies, including the influential Emily’s List organization, have rallied to her defense, accusing Republicans of a shameless attempt to “distract from the extremist agenda” of Chavez-DeRemer and her “MAGA allies.”
However, with the race for Oregon’s 5th District shaping up to be a dead heat, the fallout from these allegations could prove pivotal in determining the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives. And for Bynum, the stakes have never been higher as she fights to clear her name and convince voters that she is the right choice to represent them in Washington.
As the battle lines are drawn and the political rhetoric reaches a fever pitch, one thing remains clear: Janelle Bynum’s road ahead is fraught with uncertainty, and the outcome of this race could have far-reaching implications for the future of Oregon politics.