A Maryland lawmaker’s latest fundraising pitch seeks to tap into the angry reaction triggered by a Florida congressman’s highly-publicized tirade against a progressive hero.
In an email to supporters on Monday, state Sen. Mary L. Washington (D-Baltimore City) said she was “appalled” by Rep. Ted Yoho’s “verbal assault” on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) last week.
According to Ocasio-Cortez, Yoho accosted her on the steps of the U.S. Capitol and later referred to her a “f—ing b—-” in a conversation with another colleague. Her account was largely corroborated by a reporter for The Hill who was there at the time.
Yoho later told colleagues on the floor of the House that the two had a spirited policy discussion but he denied using the term, an account the New York lawmaker dismissed as false.
In her fundraising appeal, Washington applauded members of Congress who spoke out against Yoho’s “abuse.”
“As a lawmaker and a woman of color, I am all too familiar with the underlying tones of misogyny, bigotry, and racism that permeate every level of our government from the courthouse to the White House . . . and yes, including the Maryland General Assembly,” Washington wrote.
She offered no further details, and did not immediately return a reporter’s phone call on Monday afternoon.
“Let people who still behave like Rep. Yoho know that women of color in leadership will not be silenced,” she added. “Please consider a contribution of $10, $25, $50 — or whatever you can spare in these uncertain times.”