Florida GOP Congresswoman-elect Anna Paulina Luna — one of 20 Republicans to vote against electing Kevin McCarthy speaker — says she was ‘sexually harassed’ while leaving her office in the U.S. Capitol Tuesday evening.
‘When you’re a woman who stands up to the swamp, you are sexually harassed leaving your office, accused of having sex with members, being a witch, and more lies,’ Luna wrote in a tweet, which was accompanied by a self-recorded video that showed Daily Beast reporter Zachary Petrizzo repeatedly asking her questions.
‘This is why we must drain the swamp,’ added Luna, who was elected in November to represent Florida’s 13th Congressional District. ‘This is not journalism. Is this how female reps are treated?’
The video, which has now been viewed more than 1.2 million times on Twitter, shows Petrizzo peppering Luna with a series of questions as he followed her through the Capitol and into the street.
In the video, Petrizzo, referring to comments made by one of Luna’s would-be rivals in her congressional race, asks Luna if she is ‘a witch.’
Petrizzo’s questions stemmed from a letter obtained by the outlet that was reportedly sent by the law firm Holland & Knight at the direction of Luna after Matt Tito, who reportedly considered a primary challenge to Luna, made a series of allegations against her during an appearance on a radio show.
The video also showed Petrizzo asking Luna whether she had ‘some sort of relationship with a representative’ and if she would like to offer a comment.
Luna maintained composure throughout the video and refused to acknowledge Petrizzo’s questions.
The congresswoman-elect, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, has denied the allegations, telling the outlet in a separate instance that the allegations are ‘not true.’