Democratic New York State Senate candidate Julia Salazar recently claimed that she was sexually assaulted by David Keyes, a top spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Salazar apparently made the claim to get ahead of a conservative publication’s news story that was allegedly meant to “out” her and other sexual assault accusers of Keyes, 34, according to reports.
“This story appears to be an effort to cast doubt upon my, and other women’s, accusations against Keyes,” Salazar said in a statement posted on Twitter. “I’ve spoken to other journalists who were investigating accusations against David Keyes on background about this experience, but have never spoken on the record about it until now.”
“There’s a reason women don’t come forward after a traumatic experience — because of the triggering and vicious responses that follow,” Salazar added. “I strongly believe sexual assault survivors should not be outed in this way, and am saddened by the effect this story may have on other women.”
I’m about to be outed as a survivor of sexual assault. Here is what I have to say about that: pic.twitter.com/WFjNhzBee8
— Julia Salazar for State Senate (@SalazarSenate18) September 11, 2018
The alleged assault reportedly occurred five years ago. Keyes denied Salazar’s claim of sexual assault, telling the Daily News it is a “false accusation made by someone who has proven to be repeatedly dishonest about her own life.”
Who is Julia Salazar?
The Julia Salazar for Senate website describes Salazar as an “advocate, a tenant, a feminist, a democratic socialist, a union member, and a proud daughter of an immigrant father.” The Brooklyn native attended New York public schools and Columbia University. She lives in Bushwick, Brooklyn.
Salazar said she is running for New York state Senate to help solve a massive affordable housing crisis that is raising rents and displacing tenants.
“Our families are paying more and more just to put a roof over their heads and have less and less to spare for everything else,” says a statement on her website.
Salazar is also campaigning on behalf of immigrant communities.
“Immigrant communities and workers are under assault by the Trump administration, while millions of Americans are denied healthcare,” her site says.
