A media aide for the Senate Judiciary Committee has resigned because of reports that he had been accused of sexual harassment at a past job.
Garret Ventry, 29, who helped lead the Republican response to allegations of sexual assault against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, said he quit "in order to not be a distraction," according to the Washington Post.
Ventry, who reportedly last worked in 2017 as the social media adviser in the office of North Carolina House Majority Leader John Bell, was campaign aid for Sen. Marco Rubio's presidential campaign in 2016, NBC News reported.
But when he applied for the social media adviser job, Ventry flubbed his resume, exaggerating the role he played on Rubio's campaign, NBC reported. Two sources told NBC News that Ventry claimed he held a paid position on Rubio's campaign, but he was an unpaid volunteer _ an act of dishonesty that, in no small part, led to his leaving the Judiciary Committee post.
Ventry also faced sexual harassment allegations from an employee of the North Carolina General Assembly's Republican staff, charges he denies, according to NBC News.
When questioned by NBC News, Bell declined to give details about why Ventry was let go.
Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, who heads the Senate Judiciary Committee, told NBC News that Ventry denied "allegations of misconduct." A committee spokesperson released a statement about Ventry's departure, calling him "temporary staff."
Ventry also appears to be employed by Ventry CRC Public Relations, according to NBC. CRC is a prominent public relations firm for conservative causes, including the efforts to win confirmation for Kavanaugh.
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(Cain writes for the News & Observer of Raleigh, N.C.)
