On July 11, 2013, three of Filner's long-time supporters held a press conference to call for Filner's resignation as mayor, based on numerous unspecified but "credible" allegations that he had sexually harassed women. Later that day Filner issued a video statement apologizing and saying that he was seeking professional help to change his behavior.[45] KPBS-FM said that it had been investigating reports of sexual harassment of female staff members for several months, and that the complaints included "inappropriate comments, kissing and groping."[46] Filner admitted in a statement to reporters on July 12 that he had treated women poorly and sometimes intimidated them, but insisted that a "fair and independent investigation" would clear him of sexual harassment charges.[47] Also on July 12, Filner's chief of staff, Vince Hall, announced his resignation, effective immediately.[47] On July 24 Filner's new chief of staff Tony Buckles, his former congressional chief of staff, resigned after only 10 days on the job and was replaced by Lee Burdick, a woman who had been serving as deputy chief of staff.[48]
On July 15 the same three former supporters held another press conference, describing detailed but anonymous accounts of women who said they had been forcibly kissed, groped, and subjected to sexually suggestive comments by Filner; the alleged victims include a mayoral staffer, a campaign volunteer and a constituent. One of the former supporters, Donna Frye, said Filner was "tragically unsafe for any woman to be around."[49] Filner repeated that he had done nothing wrong and would not resign. Calls for Filner's resignation have come from Democratic U.S. senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, representatives Susan Davis and Scott Peters, DNC chairwoman and U.S Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz,[50] California State Assembly members Toni Atkins and Lorena Gonzalez,[51] and all nine members of the City Council.[52]
On July 22, 2013, attorney Gloria Allred announced at a press conference that her firm had filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Filner on behalf of the mayor's former communications director, Irene McCormack Jackson.[53] In following days, two more women stepped forward to describe incidents involving then-Congressman Filner, one in 2005 and one in 2009.[48] On July 25, 2013, four more women from San Diego accused Filner of sexual harassment.[54]
On July 26, 2013. Filner announced that he planned to take a leave of absence. "On August 5, I will be entering a counseling clinic to undergo two weeks of intensive therapy,” Filner said. He did not say he would resign and said he would return on August 19.[55][56] He actually ended his treatment after six days, completing it on August 10, according to his attorney.[57]
On July 29, 2013, Filner asked the city of San Diego to pay his legal fees for a sexual harassment lawsuit regarding his former employee Irene McCormack Jackson. The city council met in a special closed session on the evening of July 30 and decided not to do so.[58] At the same meeting, the City Council voted 9 - 0 to sue Filner for any costs incurred by the city due to Jackson's legal action.[59] On July 31, 2013, Filner and his attorney, Harvey Berger, said the City of San Diego is liable for damages in a sexual harassment lawsuit because the city failed to give Filner the required anti-sexual-harassment training within 6 months after taking office. [60] However, City Attorney Goldsmith said the required training is provided online, so that Filner could have taken it at any time. Filner did take the training in July, after the allegations surfaced.[61]
By August 15, 2013, 16 women[62] had publicly claimed that Filner had sexually harassed them, including a Marilyn Monroe impersonator who appeared at one of his fundraisers,[63] a 67-year-old great-grandmother who worked for the city,[62] a nurse who said Filner demanded a date in exchange for helping a Marine who had suffered a brain injury and PTSD during service in Iraq,[64] and several female members of the U.S. armed forces who had been raped during their service.[65] In the last two instances, Filner's contact with the women stemmed from his position at the time as ranking member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.
