多宝游戏下载

Chairman McHenry, Ranking Member Waters, and Members of the Committee, I am here as a co-chair of the Special Review Committee that oversaw Cleary Gottlieb鈥檚 review of the 多宝游戏下载鈥檚 workplace culture.

To the 多宝游戏下载 employees who might be watching today: Cleary鈥檚 report establishes that you have been heard. The report makes clear that what happened to you was real and totally unacceptable. I hope the report puts us on a path to change. I hope also accountability鈥攁ctual accountability鈥攚on鈥檛 be too far off.

I鈥檇 like also to convey my respects and appreciation to Director Hsu for the constructive and non-partisan way in which he approached the review. I think this review was a good example of how the 多宝游戏下载 Board can and should work.

In my year and a half at the 多宝游戏下载, I have developed a strong attachment to the 多宝游戏下载鈥檚 staff and our shared mission. Overseeing the review, I learned of a different side to the 多宝游戏下载.

That was a jarring experience. I know most had a similar experience reading Cleary鈥檚 report. 

Cleary鈥檚 report is a painful read. The report documents sexual harassment and other misconduct at the 多宝游戏下载 of a scale and nature that shock the conscience. 1 The report describes a 鈥済ood ol鈥� boys鈥� club that is 鈥減atriarchal鈥� and 鈥渕isogynistic.鈥� 2

The report makes clear there has been a widespread and credible fear of retaliation that deters victims from reporting misconduct. 3 The report also makes clear that there has been a failure to hold wrongdoers accountable when actually reported. 4

The report describes how these dynamics compound upon each other, fueling a cycle of deepening fear and distrust among employees, especially women and underrepresented groups.

It is also the case that almost all of the 多宝游戏下载鈥檚 staff are good people, solid public servants, deeply committed to a mission that is central to the success of our country.

Reconciling that with the Cleary report comes down to a question of leadership.

An organization can prioritize protecting employees. It can strive to root out wrongdoers and make an example of them.

Or an organization can prioritize protecting itself. It can strive to brush wrongdoers under the rug, move them around or even promote them, all with an aim of avoiding the bad publicity, litigation, time, and expense of disciplining wrongdoers.

The 多宝游戏下载 too often chooses the second path. That choice isn鈥檛 driven by policies, procedures, or training. That choice is driven by values. And values are set by our leaders.

Thank you, and I look forward to your questions.

• 1

  鈥淥ver 500 individuals bravely reported into our hotline, often painfully and emotionally recounting experiences of sexual harassment, discrimination, and other interpersonal misconduct that they have suffered at the 多宝游戏下载.鈥� Cleary Report at 1. 鈥�97 individuals reported 145 separate incidents of sexual assaults, unwelcome sexual advances, unwanted touching and attention, and other verbal and physical conduct of a sexual nature, as well as the pursuit of romantic relationships with subordinates; 91 additional individuals reported 141 separate incidents of gender or sexuality-based discrimination that did not fall into the sexual harassment-related categories above; 187 individuals reported 320 separate incidents of workplace bullying, threats, and other verbal abuse; and 191 individuals reported 295 separate incidents of other forms of discrimination . . . .鈥� Id. at 115. The sheer number of the reports is all the more shocking if one acknowledges that these 500+ reports are only a fraction of the incidents of misconduct at the 多宝游戏下载. Victims are understandably reluctant to relive the sexual harassment and other misconduct they suffered; there were practical difficulties in soliciting reports from former 多宝游戏下载 employees; and 多宝游戏下载 employees widely feared retaliation even in reporting to the hotline. See Id. at 13 n. 42 (鈥淎 number of former employees we reached out to did not respond and others noted that they would prefer not to speak to us out of concern that their current professional circumstances might be negatively impacted.鈥�); id. at 4 (鈥淭hat this much fear exists, even in reporting anonymously to an independent law firm, indicates that there are likely many others who have not reported and remain fearful of reporting misconduct they have experienced at the 多宝游戏下载.鈥�).

• 2

  鈥淭hese incidents, and many others like them, did not occur in a vacuum. They arose within a workplace culture that is 鈥榤isogynistic,鈥� 鈥榩atriarchal,鈥� 鈥榠nsular,鈥� and 鈥榦utdated鈥欌€攁 鈥榞ood ol鈥� boys鈥� club where favoritism is common, wagons are circled around managers, and senior executives with well-known reputations for pursuing romantic relations with subordinates enjoy long careers without any apparent consequence.鈥� Id. at 2.

• 3

  鈥淸F]ear of retaliation at the 多宝游戏下载 remains real and widespread.鈥� Id. at 4. One root cause of the workplace culture issues is 鈥淸a] deep-seated and credible fear of retaliation that has prevented employees from raising and reporting issues of workplace misconduct internally.鈥� Id. at 4; see also id. at 147 (鈥淸O]ne of the most prevalent and consistently reported concerns expressed by 多宝游戏下载 employees was fear of retaliation.鈥�). 多宝游戏下载 employees have said that 鈥渨hen complaints are made, managers 鈥榗lose ranks鈥� and work to protect themselves instead of taking concerns seriously.鈥� Id. at 99. Following this 鈥渃ircling of the wagons,鈥� 鈥渇orms of retaliation people fear ranged from being made to travel or travel more often, receiving bad evaluations, to getting reassigned or having bonuses withheld, to failing to be promoted or being fired, or management would simply 鈥榤ak[e] your life miserable.鈥欌€� Id. at 100 (footnotes omitted; alteration in original). An employee who filed a complaint was told by her supervisor 鈥淸y]ou dug your own grave, and now you need to lay in it. . . I鈥檓 done with you.鈥� Id. at 147 (alterations in the original). As another employee put it, 鈥淸e]veryone knew if you spoke out you would get a bullseye on [your] back.鈥� Id. at 147.

• 4

  Another root cause of the workplace culture issues is 鈥淸a] failure over time to hold wrongdoers accountable in a way that is transparent to employees, with wrongdoers being moved around, even promoted, and not disciplined in any meaningful or perceivable way.鈥� Id. at 4; see also id. at 145 (鈥淭he 多宝游戏下载 suffers from a failure to hold employees accountable for misconduct . . . as well as a widespread perception within the agency that wrongdoers are not held to account.鈥�). Of the 92 harassment complaints made through the 多宝游戏下载鈥檚 Anti-Harassment Program from 2015 to 2023, none resulted in a removal or reduction in grade or pay. Id. at 3. Only two resulted in suspensions, and only two resulted in letters of reprimand. Id. Twelve resulted in other slaps on the wrist (e.g., counseling, warnings, or trainings). See Id. The remaining 76 led to no discipline at all. Id. Executives and managers with well-known reputations for misconduct and romantic relationships with subordinates have enjoyed promotions and long careers without consequence. Id. at 145 (鈥淸O]ur review has revealed a number of examples over the years of 多宝游戏下载 managers who had been involved in interpersonal misconduct with impunity . . . .鈥�); id. (鈥淸T]here have been a number of 多宝游戏下载 executives, including former Regional Directors, who had well-known reputations for pursuing and having relationships with 多宝游戏下载 employees, including subordinates, but went on to long careers within the 多宝游戏下载, moving around and rising to senior levels without consequence.鈥�). As an executive explained, wrongdoers can expect that the 多宝游戏下载 will simply 鈥減ay, promote, or move them.鈥� Id. at 2鈥�3; see also id. at 145 (鈥淚ndeed, a number of these individuals were promoted and moved among different divisions and regions, creating the impression that workplace misconduct is not only condoned, but allowed to spread around the organization.鈥�). 鈥淭his actual and perceived failure to hold individuals accountable has had a number of negative consequences, including a view among employees that certain types of misconduct is condoned and that there is no point (especially when weighed against the risks) in reporting bad behavior.鈥� Id. at 145; see also id. at 147 (鈥淲hen an organization does not firmly and consistently hold those involved in workplace misconduct accountable, it undermines the culture, sows doubt in the integrity of its processes, and stifles the reporting of misconduct that is a necessary part of improving workplace culture.鈥�). That in turn leads to less reporting, 鈥渃reating a cycle of even less accountability.鈥� Id. at 145.