EXCLUSIVE: President Biden and first lady Jill Biden’s entourage and former colleagues rallied to the defense of a top aide accused of sexual harassment in statements provided to Fox News Digital.
Nearly a dozen current and former colleagues of Anthony Bernal, the president’s aide and top aide to the first lady, have alleged he had a long history of bullying and verbal sexual harassment, including speculating about height of staff members’ penises during conversations. , which one individual described as an attempt “to make people uncomfortable and have power over them.”
The anonymous staffers told the New York Post, which first reported the allegations, that they had come forward in hopes that Bernal would be held accountable for his actions. However, some remain skeptical and describe him as “untouchable” because of his closeness to the first lady.
The White House and the first lady’s office did not directly respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital about whether Bernal would be the subject of an internal investigation into the matter. Instead, current and past members of Biden’s inner circle and former colleagues of Bernal provided statements to Fox News Digital defending his character in an effort to counter the staffers’ accusations.
FORMER BIDEN AID CONFIRMS REPORTS OF ALLEGED BULLYING, SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF WH OFFICIAL’S STAFF
Annie Tomasini, Director of Oval Office Operations, and Anthony Bernal, Advisor to the First Lady, follow President Biden and Jill Biden to Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on February 16, 2024. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“Anthony is one of the most generous, conscientious and brilliant people working in the White House,” a White House official told Fox News Digital. “In the 20 years I have known him, I have never heard him make comments like those alleged – in fact, he has always been quite intentional and determined about making sure his colleagues at all levels feel valued and appreciated .”
“I’ve worked with Anthony for almost 30 years — and I’ve always seen him act with the utmost professionalism and compassion toward his team,” former Biden chief of staff Ron Klain told Fox News Digital.
Several other former colleagues of Bernal also defended him. A former employee of office of the first lady who worked with him during the first two years of the Biden administration, said she had “a lot of respect for him as a leader and a colleague.”
“He has a good heart and he always puts the people we serve at the forefront of his decisions,” they said. “As one of the youngest employees in the office, he constantly sought and valued my perspective and contributions.”
Another person, who said he worked closely with Bernal for nearly 30 years in government and the private sector, said he regularly supported his colleagues “and pushed them to exceed their own expectations to achieve extraordinary results “.
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Anthony Bernal in front of St. Edmond Roman Catholic Church waiting for President Biden to leave after attending mass in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, August 12, 2023. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images, file)
“All the while, he tirelessly illustrates that family comes first and that the highest form of public service is to find more to give,” they added. “Anthony’s expectations are high, but his grace is even greater. He is truly the epitome of a public servant-leader.”
Another longtime colleague, who said he had known and worked with Bernal for more than 15 years, said he had never heard him “utter an inappropriate word to anyone – ever.”
“The White House is a demanding workplace that requires the best efforts of all its employees, and Anthony’s leadership has helped me and many others maximize our capabilities,” they said. “He challenged me to be better than I ever thought I could be, and as a result, I am a much better person and a better colleague because of that interaction.”
THE The New York Post reported Last week, allegations against Bernal, who is openly gay, included him sharing his view with staff that the size of a person’s thumb correlates with the size of their penis. He would have done so in the current White House, in previous roles in the Biden campaign and during Biden’s vice presidency.
“It’s to make people uncomfortable and have power over them,” a source told the Post. “It’s Me Too – classic Me Too.”
Other sources told the Post that Bernal told a colleague he had a small penis during a disagreement. He noticed a “staff bulge in their khakis” at another event.
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First lady Jill Biden speaks with Anthony Bernal before a speech at the Carondelet Palace in Quito, Ecuador, May 19, 2022. (Erin Schaff/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
“There were a lot of inappropriate remarks — talking about other people’s attractiveness and speculating about their sex lives at very strange times,” the source told the Post. “This is actually sexual harassment.”
The sources also said Bernal would regularly question people’s sexuality and attempt to interfere in their personal lives.
Following the report, a former top aide to Biden, who wished to remain anonymous, told Fox News Digital that the allegations in the Post report were consistent with what they experienced while working in the administration.
“I am surprised it has taken this long for so many staff members to speak out,” they said. “I wouldn’t be shocked if this allowed current and past staff to move forward.”
The former collaborator also believes that “a dozen sources seem sufficient to trigger this type of internal investigation.”
Biden, meanwhile, said he would not tolerate such actions within his orbit.
On his first day in office, Biden said he would not tolerate disrespectful employees in his orbit. (Associated Press)
“I’m not kidding when I say this: If you ever work with me and I hear that you are disrespecting another co-worker or disparaging someone, I promise to fire you on the spot. ” Biden said from his first day in office. “On the spot. No ifs, no buts.”
The White House and the first lady’s office did not respond whether they believed Bernal’s alleged actions violated Biden’s pledge.
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The Bidens indirectly addressed the issue through a statement from the president’s chief of staff, Jeff Zeints, who told the Post that he and the Bidens had “full confidence in Anthony’s character.”
“His many fans at the White House know him to be both kind and tough, holding himself to the highest standards and having a heart devoted to public service,” Zients said. “It is disappointing that he is the target of unfounded attacks from anonymous sources.”
