First Lady Jill Biden’s so-called “work husband,” Anthony Bernal, is facing allegations of sexual harassment within the White House, creating a toxic workplace environment, sources close to the matter told the New York Post.
According to former Biden aides who spoke on condition of anonymity, Bernal, 50, has engaged in inappropriate conversations about colleagues’ anatomy, causing discomfort among staff. One source revealed, “It is to make people uncomfortable and to have power over them. It is Me Too — classic Me Too.”
Bernal, who has maintained a close friendship with Jill Biden, has allegedly challenged colleagues to correlate thumb sizes with genital sizes, creating an uncomfortable dynamic, especially for subordinates. These incidents have been ongoing since the Obama administration, with some sources claiming Bernal’s behavior extended even to Secret Service agents on the first family’s detail.
Another source highlighted a specific incident, stating, “It was a lot of inappropriate remarks — talking about other people’s attractiveness and speculating about their sex lives at very weird moments… that’s actually sexual harassment.”
Critics argue that Jill Biden’s decision to keep Bernal on staff is hypocritical, emphasizing that others would be immediately fired for displaying such disrespect in the workplace. One source mentioned, “It reflects poorly on the president and the first lady. They talk a big game about integrity, decency, and kindness, but when you work for the Bidens, you experience anything but that.”
The sources expressed concerns about the power and influence Bernal wields within the White House, describing him as creating a “hostile work environment.” They believe that coming forward with such allegations is career-ending, given Bernal’s perceived protection due to his relationship with the first lady.
“I don’t think people understand how much power and influence he has. The problem is it is career-ending for anyone to talk on the record for these stories,” one of the sources said, describing Bernal as creating a “hostile work environment” for employees of the First Lady’s East Wing and those he encountered in the West Wing.
The White House vehemently denied the allegations, with Biden’s chief of staff issuing a statement that read, “The president and first lady have full confidence in Anthony’s character, as do I. His many fans at the White House know him to be both gracious and tough, holding himself up to the highest standards, with a heart dedicated to public service. It is disappointing that he is the target of unfounded attacks from unnamed sources.”
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