Longtime Bloomberg partner on NDA concerns: 'Get over it'
Mike Bloomberg’s longtime partner said Monday that those concerned about crude and sexist remarks the former New York mayor is alleged to have made about women in the workplace should "get over it."
The accusations against Bloomberg, and criticism of his company Bloomberg LP's use of nondicslosure agreements to stifle them, have been the basis of a barrage of attacks from the former mayor's rivals in the Democratic race for president. Bloomberg, who appeared to stumble in last week's debate in addressing questions about those agreements, is likely to face similar attacks in Tuesday night's South Carolina debate.
In an interview with CBS News, Bloomberg's longtime partner Diana Taylor dismissed the renewed focus on the former mayor's comments, which have surfaced before during his past runs for office. She told CBS News at a "Women for Mike" event that concern about the alleged comments stemmed from what she said is a recent evolution in what is considered inappropriate conduct in workplaces.
“I grew up in that world. It was a bro culture,” she argued, adding that “we have come a long, long way and Michael Bloomberg has been at the forefront of that change.”
Taylor’s defense echoed that of Bloomberg, who emphasized that he has no tolerance for inappropriate workplace behavior and cast the confidentiality pacts as consensual agreements. Still, he's defended himself by claiming the language he’s accused of using were "bawdy" jokes.
Taylor reiterated her partner’s rebuttal, asserting that “that is not who he is” but that “life has changed.”
Asked to respond to people bothered by allegations against Bloomberg, as well as his response to them at last week’s debate, Taylor told CBS: “It was 30 years ago. Get over it.”
While accusers have alleged his comments contributed to a company culture hostile to women, Bloomberg argued during last week's debate that no one “accused me of doing anything, other than, maybe, they didn't like a joke I told.”
In a statement, the Bloomberg campaign sought to distance itself from Taylor's comments. "Diana offered her personal view from her forty years working in finance, not the view of the campaign," Erin McPike, a spokeswoman for the former mayor's campaign, said.
Among Bloomberg's Democratic rivals, Sen. Elizabeth Warren pummeled Bloomberg with particular gusto over the issue and called on him to release women from their NDAs so voters could know “exactly what's lurking out there.” She later taunted the former mayor by drawing up a document that would do just that.
Within days, Bloomberg announced that his company had identified three confidentiality agreements with women related to alleged comments he made, and invited them to be released from the pacts.
