The latest women to accuse Mayor Bob Filner of San Diego of unwanted sexual advances are military veterans who were sexually assaulted and met him at support group events, CNN reports.
The women, who first told their story to CNN, said that what upset them most about Mr. Filner’s conduct was that he approached them at events for victims of sexual assault in the military.
Eldonna Lewis Fernandez, who retired from the Air Force in 2003 after she was sexually assaulted while on assignment in the Middle East, said she met Mr. Filner about a year ago, when he was a congressman, at a “Healing and Hiring Fair†in San Diego that was sponsored by the Veterans Association of America.
She told CNN that after she handed him her card, Mr. Filner said, “Fernandez. Are you married? Do you have a husband?â€
“Very quick, very direct,†Ms. Fernandez said. “I said, ‘No, I’m divorced.’ ‘Well, you’re beautiful, and I can’t take my eyes off you, and I want to take you to dinner.’ I was really shocked and I was like, ‘Uh, O.K.’ â€
On camera, she played what she said was a voice mail message from him: “Hi, it’s your newly favorite congressman, Bob Filner. You know, the one who fell in love with you at your last speech. I don’t want to wait till you come back to have dinner with you.â€
Mr. Filner, who has dismissed calls for his resignation, entered a two-week therapy program on Monday after more than a dozen women, including his former communications director, said publicly that he had sexually harassed or made unwanted sexual advances toward them.
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