>>RELATED: Justice Bill O’Neill recuses himself after controversy
He deleted his first post when he posted his new Facebook message. This one was to his critics, whom he told: “Lighten up folks. This is how Democrats remain in the minority.”
O’Neill said he was a civil rights lawyer “before Anita Hill and before you were born” to those he called “sanctimonious judges.”
“When a United States senator commits a non criminal act of indiscretion; and when it is brought to his attention and he immediately has the integrity to apologize; and the apology is accepted by the victim: IT IS WRONG for the dogs of war to leap onto his back ...
“It is morally wrong,” he said.
FIRST REPORT
Ohio Supreme Court Justice Bill O’Neill made a controversial Facebook post Friday in response to “the dogs of war calling for the head of Senator Al Franken.”
In the post made just after noon Friday, Justice Bill O’Neill, who’s planning a run at Ohio governor, gave intimate details of his sexual past.
In the Facebook post, O’Neill states he’s speaking up on behalf of all heterosexual males.
Bill O’Neill writes in the post, “As a candidate for Governor, let me save my opponents some research time. In the last fifty years I was sexually intimate with approximately 50 very attractive females.”
WHIO’s Jim Otte called Justice Bill O’Neill to ask if his Facebook page had been hacked.
“I did post it and I stand by it,” O’Neill told Jim Otte in a phone conversation.
Less than an hour later, O’Neill made edits to his Facebook post. See below.
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O’Neill goes on to say, “now we can get back to discussing legalizing marijuana and opening the state hospital network to combat the opioid crisis. I am sooooo disappointed by this national feeding frenzy about sexual indiscretions decades ago.”
O’Neill is already getting dozens of comments.
About an hour after news organizations broke the story regarding O’Neill’s Facebook post, his campaign communications director tweeted that he’d resigned.
"The comments made today by @BillForOhio were both disturbing and misguided. As a victim of sexual assault, I cannot in good faith remain a part of #TeamONeill," Campaign Manager Chris Clevenger tweeted.
The comments made today by @BillForOhio were both disturbing and misguided. As a victim of sexual assault, I cannot in good faith remain a part of #TeamONeill.
— Chris Clevenger (@ChrisEClevenger) November 17, 2017
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley sent a tweet just after 1 p.m. in response to O’Neill’s Facebook post.
Sexual harassment, degrading and devaluing women is not a joke. Justice O’Neill should resign. #ohgov pic.twitter.com/KDwSVZMGA3
— Nan Whaley (@nanwhaley) November 17, 2017
Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor released a statement condemning O’Neill’s post.
“I condemn in no uncertain terms Justice O’Neill’s Facebook post,” the statement reads. “No words can convey my shock. This gross disrespect for women shakes the public’s confidence in the integrity of the judiciary.”
We are continuing to follow developments on this story and will post more information here.
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