Dem lawmaker calls for extra protections to ‘safeguard’ Senate pages if Moore is elected

Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) is calling for extra protections for Senate pages to prepare for the possible election of Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore.

In a Dec. 8 letter to the Senate Sergeant at Arms, the congresswoman writes of her “urgent concern” for the safety of Senate pages if Moore is elected.

“Being away from home puts these young people in a very vulnerable position,” Moore writes in the letter. “The nature of life on Capitol Hill necessitates long hours in close proximity to lawmakers and staff that can create power dynamics of which young people are not fully aware.”

“It would be unconscionable for Congress to not be vigilant and proactive in taking precautions to safeguard these children given the well sourced allegations against Roy Moore,” she continues.

Roy Moore has been accused of sexual misconduct involving teenagers. Nearly 10 women have come forward with allegations that Moore pursued them romantically or sexually as teenagers, including one who said he assaulted her at age 14 when Moore was 32.

{mosads}Other stories about Moore’s tendency to pursue young women have also come out since the allegations, including a report that he was banned from an Alabama mall and that local police were instructed to keep him away from high school cheerleaders.

Moore has denied the allegations. In November, a lawyer representing the candidate demanded that an Alabama news group issue a retraction after it reported that Moore was known for “predatory” behavior at his local mall.

Senate pages are often in high school and can be as young as 16 years old.

Gwen Moore references former GOP Rep. Mark Foley (Fla.), who resigned from the House after sending sexual text messages and emails to pages, partially leading to the elimination of the House Page program.

“I believe my fears are well founded,” Moore writes in her letter. “We have seen Members of Congress abuse the Congressional Page Program. … We need to be vigilant stewards of these children going forward.”

In the letter, Moore asks the Sergeant at Arms to provide information about what steps, if any, are being taken to “safeguard Senate Pages from predatory conduct of U.S. Senators and Senate staff.”