Doug Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, is facing explosive allegations of misogynistic behavior at his former law firm, including accusations of hiring a "trophy secretary" for her looks and retaliating against women who didn’t flirt with him.
Doug Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, is facing a series of damaging allegations from former colleagues at his previous law firm, Venable, painting a troubling picture of misogynistic and inappropriate behavior during his time there. The claims, first reported by the *Daily Mail*, accuse Emhoff of fostering a sexist work environment, hiring a secretary based solely on her appearance, and retaliating against female colleagues who didn’t respond to his advances.
Emhoff, who ran Venable’s Los Angeles office from 2006 to 2017, is alleged to have regularly exhibited foul-mouthed and unprofessional behavior. One former staffer claimed he once bragged about telling a female partner to "get the f*** out of my office," boasting afterward to his male colleagues that he had "put her in her place." His alleged behavior wasn’t just limited to verbal abuse. Multiple former staffers recounted incidents in which Emhoff reportedly hosted men-only cocktail hours in the office and penalized women who didn’t flirt back, denying them opportunities to work on high-profile cases.
"If you weren’t flirty back or didn’t respond positively, you were on his s**t list," one ex-colleague told the *Daily Mail*. Women who failed to play along with his advances allegedly found themselves excluded from important cases and workplace perks. One former staffer said that, for years, Emhoff held Friday night cocktail parties for male employees only, a practice that only ended after it was brought to the attention of Venable’s leadership around 2010.
The allegations also extend to Emhoff’s hiring practices. According to former colleagues, Emhoff hired a young, attractive secretary named “Katya” based solely on her looks, with little regard for her qualifications. This sparked a culture in the office where male partners began referring to young, attractive assistants as "Katya," using the term as code for a "trophy secretary." A legal secretary who sued Venable for sex discrimination in 2019 (though Emhoff was not named in the lawsuit) reportedly overheard male partners making similar comments, with one allegedly saying, "every partner should have a 'Katya.'"
These claims sharply contrast with the public image Emhoff has cultivated as a supportive spouse and “feminist ally” in his role as Second Gentleman, where he has been portrayed as redefining traditional masculinity and championing gender equality. However, the accusations coming from his former colleagues suggest behavior more reminiscent of the "Mad Men" era than that of a progressive legal leader.
Emhoff has already faced scandals in the past. The *Daily Mail* previously reported that he admitted to having an affair with his children’s nanny during his first marriage, and was also accused of physically assaulting an ex-girlfriend. While Emhoff has denied the assault allegations, the resurfacing of these claims, combined with the new accusations of misogynistic behavior at Venable, cast a shadow over his image as a champion for women’s rights.
As the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, these allegations have the potential to reverberate far beyond Emhoff’s personal life, threatening to undermine the carefully crafted public narrative surrounding the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to gender equality. While the Venable accusations remain allegations, the scandal could raise questions about the administration’s values and the people who represent it on the national stage.
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