A glamorous Washington state lawmaker bullied a male aide into sex, then made him do her shopping and tried to fire him when he reported her, a lawsuit alleges.
Emily Clouse, 30, allegedly began a “mutually consensual dating relationship” with the unnamed man after she was elected commissioner in Thurston County, which includes the state capital of Olympia.
But the aide claims he felt unable to reject Clouse’s advances because of the power she had over him, saying he found the romance “increasingly unwelcome.”
“It was clear to plaintiff, however, that if plaintiff wished to remain employed, he would have to continue his personal intimate relationship of a sexual nature with Commissioner Clouse,” the claim alleges.
Clouse allegedly exploited the man by driving her around, buying her food and drinks and lending her cash, which she says she never repaid. Spokane spokesperson review reported.
He labeled her an abuser and reported her behavior to Thurston County Human Resources on July 26.
Clouse, who was sworn into her role in November 2023, tried to fire him 30 minutes later and then accused the assistant of sexually assaulting her.
The aide says other Thurston County officials tried to suppress his claims, asking him “what amount” it would take to make his claims go away.
He was placed on administrative leave, which the aide said gave him the impression he was “guilty of misconduct.”
A lawsuit filed Wednesday in Thurston County Superior Court accuses Commissioner Emily Clouse of sexual harassment and retaliation against her former executive assistant
The lawsuit says the combination of Clouse and Thurston County’s alleged conduct caused the deputy “long-term stress, physical harm, emotional distress, shame, trauma and humiliation.”
It was filed two months after the same aide filed a separate lawsuit against the county seeking $750,000 in damages.
The second lawsuit was filed earlier this week by attorneys for the assistant over claims that Thurston County failed to take the initial legal claim seriously.
Clouse was suspended from some of her duties in August while an investigation into her alleged abuse was launched.
She remains a voting member of the Thurston County Board of Commissioners, but is not allowed to represent the county publicly.
Thurston County promised to release a report on the allegations in early September, but that has not yet happened.
Clouse tried and failed to return to all her appointments last week.
Her attorney Maia Robbins described the assistant’s allegations against her as “fiction.”
Robbins added: “The allegations in the complaint are absurd on their face and have already been dispelled by an internal workplace investigation.
According to the complaint, Clouse initiated a “consensual dating” with the assistant, who felt pressured to comply in order to keep his job.
In August, three of her fellow commissioners voted to suspend her from some of her duties while the county investigated the workplace relationship with the assistant.
Thurston County has declined to comment on the claims, citing pending litigation.
Clouse’s official website describes her as a “lifelong resident of Thurston County” and Army veteran who served as a military intelligence analyst.
After leaving the military, Clouse returned home to help manage the family businesses.
She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Washington Tacoma.
Clouse’s political interests include helping rehabilitate young offenders and supporting the homeless.