Thoughts on L’Affaire Clemens

Sen. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth, gives a thumbs up on an elections bill requiring a candidate to provide a money order or cashier’s check drawn upon his or her campaign account on the Senate floor Friday, May 5, 2017 at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. It passed 35-0. (Photo by Phil Sears)

This morning, POLITICO Florida reported that incoming Senate Democratic leader Jeff Clemens apologized for having an affair with a lobbyist during the last legislative session.

“The affair between Clemens and lobbyist Devon West came to a head at the end of the regular spring lawmaking session, when West came into possession of Clemens’ Apple laptop, and gained access to all his contacts and personal information and then informed his wife of the tryst, according to sources familiar with the affair who had spoken to Clemens,” reported Alexandra Glorioso.

Glorioso’s report comes ten days after I wrote about how the Harvey Weinsteins of Florida politics are hiding in plain sight. 

It was then I asked who “would be the Florida politician(s) laid low by the kind of sexual assault and harassment scandal which has dethroned one-time Hollywood king Weinstein?”

I guess we now know the answer, although its unlikely Clemens will give up his leadership position.

Here are some additional thoughts about L’Affaire Clemens:

— Someone in The Process asked me if this story is about sexual harassment or sex between two consenting adults. The easy answer is that it’s just sex. But, increasingly, that kind of framework is no longer acceptable. Clemens was in a position of power vis-a-vis West, even if West initiated the relationship. Her professional standing depends, in part, on her relationship with lawmakers.

— POLITICO Florida is comin’ for everyone.

That’s what several lawmakers and lobbyists are warning each other now that this story has broken. They say that the Clemens story, had there not been his confession, probably would not have been published by the Times-Herald or other legacy media.

But POLITICO has a more flexible relationship with anonymous sources than traditional media.

— The Clemens story is precisely the problem with Tallahassee’s casting couch culture. The POLITICO story broke when, realizing that he was going to be outed, Clemens released a sappy mea culpa about the pain he has caused and how he aims to be a better person.

Really? When you piece together the limited facts, clearly what happened is much worse than just two consenting adults engaging in a tryst.

— According to the POLITICO story, West was a county employee where it was her job to influence the Legislature to make decisions to benefit her employer. At some point in the influencing process, she had an affair with Clemens.

The relationship apparently went south and resulted in her taking Clemens’ laptop, going through his contacts and informing his wife.

Clemens, now faced with an emotionally wrecked female lobbyist who has exposed the affair to his wife and could potentially cause Clemens further embarrassment, moves into containment mode. He enlists the help of the powerful chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee who in turn calls the Democratic Leader, who apparently contacts the woman, convincing her to turn over the laptop.

After the affair, she leaves her job, leaves the country, and is then hired by Broward County.

— Always aiming to become a better person? Clemens’ actions are beyond reprehensible. He was (and is) in a position of great power as a Senator and incoming Leader.

After his affair disintegrates to the point that she takes his laptop and informs his wife, instead of focusing on helping the woman, who was clearly emotionally fucked, he fucks her over professionally by outing her to another senator who enlists yet another senator to help clean up the mess.

— How is this all right? How is it OK for an influential senator to use a woman seeking to influence him for sexual gratification? How is it OK for other powerful senators to help clean up his mess to protect him? How is it OK that the affair will haunt this young person professionally for (literally) the rest of her life.

And how is it OK that news of an affair is about as shocking as a Trump tweet?

— This is a cancer infecting the legislative process. It is a story that exactly typifies what everyone involved knows occurs day after day. This is also why everyone in The Process knows that young female lobbyists are often chewed up and spit out.

There will be no repercussions for Clemens. Instead, next Session, fellow Democrats will elect him to lead their caucus, making flowery speeches about what a great man he is.

What does that say about the Tallahassee culture?