Any politician would be lucky to have the spin the media continues to provide former Congresswoman Katie Hill. On Saturday, the New York Times published a gushing profile in advance of Hill’s new memoir, in which she continues to defend her affair with a subordinate on her campaign and blames the unduly minimal scrutiny on her gender and bisexuality.
Hill, then a U.S. representative from California, shot to infamy when it was revealed that she and her husband had engaged in a three-way affair with a young female staffer. Nude pictures of the congresswoman, some including the mistress and others featuring Hill with a bong, circulated online, which she claims were leaked by her now-ex husband, an allegation he vehemently denies. She resigned amidst an ethics investigation and allegations of an affair with her legislative director.
Of course, Hill was not forced to take any further responsibility for her decisions, claiming that conservatives are turning a minor issue into a story due to sexism, her liberal politics, and a lurid fascination and distaste for bisexuality. Even her resignation speech was filled with references to men who allegedly have gotten away with far worse than an affair with an employee.
The media bent over backwards defending and supporting Hill for actions that would lead to rampant demonization had she been a man. Rather than becoming the latest monster decried by the #MeToo movement, Hill effectively positioned herself as a martyr, held to an impossible double-standard and unduly punished. While she is accurate in her assessment of a double standard, it is one from which Hill has benefitted immensely.
With a memoir coming out Tuesday, the wave of lionizing profiles and opinion pieces will doubtlessly flood the airways and pages of leftist media. What easily could have been a career-ending scandal is likely just the beginning for Hill.
