The #MeToo movement has had an impact on many in Hollywood, but maybe not so much in other arenas. Take Trump's arena, for example. Rachel Crooks, one of many who has accused Trump of sexual misconduct, says Donald Trump forcibly kissed her on the lips in 2005 near an elevator in Trump Tower.
Crooks had been working in the Tower and saw Trump passing her office every day, so she decided to introduce herself. "He gave me a kiss on each cheek, which was normal, but he held on to my hand and he continued to kiss my cheeks, over and over again…and then finally he kissed me on the lips," she told CNN (video below). When asked if it was unwanted and forcible, she said, "Definitely."
But, she says, when she came out publicly about the incident, it was pushed under the rug – her voice was never heard – and this is what has inspired her to run for office.
Crooks, age 35, filed petitions yesterday to run for Ohio’s state legislature.
Rachel Crooks today filed petitions to run for Ohio’s 88th State House District, which includes Sandusky County and most of Seneca County in northwest Ohio. Follow her campaign:
Twitter: @RachelforOhio
Facebook: https://t.co/1GI6m2YN98https://t.co/1GI6m2YN98 pic.twitter.com/bbjHuw4uS9— Ohio House Dems (@OhioHouseDems) February 5, 2018
According to TIME, her campaign is not actually about Trump, but about being a voice for Americans who are sick of politics as usual.
Crooks, one of a record number of first-time female candidates running for office in 2018, said she doesn’t want the allegations to define her campaign, which has the backing of the Ohio Democratic Party. She said she wants to help create jobs, repair the state’s education system and increase access to affordable health care.
Here is Crooks describing what happened the day Trump allegedly kissed her without her consent:
