Recently, a congresswoman in another state resigned from the House of Representatives as a consequence of her husband circulating nude photos of her in compromising positions with a female staffer to tabloid and right-wing publications.
California freshman Dem. Rep. Katie Hill released an announcement that she was resigning from Congress last month. Former Rep. Hill was an openly bisexual member of the House and was going through a divorce when her husband released the photos in a smear attempt.
While the legislator’s relationship with a female staff member was allegedly consensual, it was sufficient cause for the House Ethics Committee to open an investigation into the alleged affair.
There has been no word on whether the husband will face any legal consequences for outing his wife with the revenge porn. Both the right-wing website RedState and the British tabloid Daily Mail published Rep. Hill’s nude photos and salacious accounts of her alleged extramarital dalliances.
After her resignation, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a former champion of the much younger Hill, released a statement saying that the former Congresswoman “has acknowledged errors in judgment that made her continued service as a member untenable.”
After a relationship ends or a marriage breaks down, it might seem like it’s worth it to lash out by publicizing private intimate photos of your former spouse or lover. But doing so can get you into a great deal of trouble, even without the moral aspect of your actions.
Remember, too, that nothing online is ever truly gone. One screenshot is enough to send an image around the world long after you hit the delete button. If you are facing revenge porn accusations, take the matter very seriously and begin building a stalwart defense to the charges as soon as is possible.
