Victim advocate speaks out
HARRISBURG — The victim advocate for Pennsylvania said her client's “brave and courageous” decision to come forward with allegations of sexual assault against state Rep. Brian Ellis, R-11th, could spell the end of a dangerous climate of sexual predation in the state capital.
“I really think we're getting to a point where we're starting to dismantle the culture that has existed for far too long, not just in society, but in Harrisburg,” said victim advocate Jennifer Storm.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Thursday that the Dauphin County District Attorney's Office opened a criminal investigation into allegations that Ellis, who represents much of Butler County, had sex in 2015 with a woman at his Harrisburg residence without her consent.
The woman, a state employee who does not work for Ellis, said he told her the next morning that the two had sex. She said Ellis had pursued her and she made it clear that she was not interested in his advances.
Storm would not give a name, age or place of residence for the victim, but said that she was not intoxicated during the assault.
“She was involuntarily incapacitated,” Storm said.
She would not divulge whether the victim was incapacitated by Ellis or someone else.
Regarding the criminal investigation coming three years after the incident, Storm said her client has spoken of it before.
Storm would not elaborate in which context the victim had previously spoken out.
“This is not someone who just came out of the woodwork,” Storm said. “She has been exploring her options for a long time.”
She said many factors play into a victim's decision on when to go public with such explosive allegations.
“She weighed her options and waded through the trauma of the experience,” Storm said.For now, she said, her client is doing as well as can be expected.“This is obviously an incredibly traumatic and hard time for her as (news) outlets have begun reporting it,” Storm said.Regarding Ellis, who is a Butler Township resident, Storm agrees that he must step down.“I think that no one with this type of behavior should be allowed to hold a position of state legislator,” Storm said. “This conduct is not acceptable and renders a person unfit to do their duties, so I do think resigning is proper.”On Friday afternoon, House Republican leaders and Gov. Tom Wolf called on Ellis to resign.Ellis has not been charged and the Dauphin County DA's office declined to confirm that there is an investigation.Ellis couldn't be reached for comment since the story broke.Should Ellis decide to resign, a special election would be held to fill the seat in the 11th District.That election would be set by the Speaker of the House, said J.J. Abbott, Gov. Wolf's press secretary.
