Someone claiming to be “former staff” of former Rep. Katie Hill (D-CA) posted messages to her official government Twitter account to accuse her of “abuse” after news broke this week that actress Elisabeth Moss would star as Hill in a TV series highlighting her rise and fall in politics.
The movie is based on Hill’s forthcoming book, which “recounts her experience as a young woman with no prior political experience whose charm, and common sense won over the people in her district and thrust her into the halls of power in Washington,” Variety reported. “While her brash confidence won her powerful allies and infuriated her enemies, it was privately concealing a cycle of domestic abuse she was trapped in at home, infamously culminating in the release of intimate photos and the revelation of her own admitted personal mistakes that would eventually result in her stunning fall from grace.”
Late on Tuesday night, a series of tweets was posted to Hill’s Twitter account that stated:
Katie’s former staff here. Disappointed in so many folks – including Elizabeth Moss, @Blumhouse , & @michaelseitzman – regarding today’s announcement. This is an incredibly sensitive situation. We appreciate the instinct to defend our former boss, an LGBTQ+ woman who faced abuse from her husband.
What happened to Katie Hill shouldn’t happen to anyone. But, this moment requires more nuance, as Katie Hill’s story – our story – is also one of workplace abuse and harassment. Katie Hill can be both a victim and perpetrator. And, staff can experience severe consequences for speaking out against their powerful boss.
No one should have to put themselves in harm’s way for the public to understand a simple truth: Katie Hill is not a hero for women. We deserve heroes who embody our values even in the most difficult moments. Katie Hill was never investigated by the House Ethics Committee, nor has she been held accountable by anyone other than herself. We encourage everyone to reflect deeply before taking her word at face value.
Katie took advantage of her subordinates. She caused immense harm to the people who worked for her, many of whom were young women just beginning their careers in politics. Workplace abuse and harassment can take many different forms, but one thing is certain: it is never okay, even if your boss is a woman and/or a survivor.
Believe us when we say: it’s not only about who starts it, it’s also about who ends it. And, while Katie is certainly the survivor of abuse, we are not confident that she sufficiently acted to end her own patterns of inappropriate and abusive behavior. Enough is enough. In order to advance the #MeToo movement, we must be willing to acknowledge the problematic behaviors among those in our own communities. Only then will we see true progress. #TimesUp #MeToo
Hill responded to the series of tweets from her personal Twitter account roughly an hour later.
“Thanks to all who let me know my government official twitter account was hacked,” Hill wrote. “Control of my account was immediately handed back to the House Clerk when I resigned, including password changes and access restrictions. God knows who hacked it from there. Reported to @twitter.”
Thanks to all who let me know my government official twitter account was hacked. Control of my account was immediately handed back to the House Clerk when I resigned, including password changes and access restrictions. God knows who hacked it from there. Reported to @twitter.
— Katie Hill (@KatieHill4CA) October 7, 2020