1.Speaking Frankly, Franken and Franks: As we wrote last week, since many organizations failed for years to enforce sexual harassment regulations against superstars, they created the condi-tions for sexual misconduct to flourish. As a result, it’s hardly a surprise the #metoo wave continues. This is not to say ordinary citizens aren’t sexual harassers, they certainly are, but they’re unlikely to be #metoo targets. The good news is that since our last edition, political institutions, which seemed to be ignoring #metoo developments, began to take sexual harassment regulations seriously. The House and Senate Ethics panels, for example, awoke from their slumber and started to make noise about investigating politicians’ alleged sexual misconduct. Partly as a result, Democrats Rep. John Conyers and Sen. Al Franken and Republican Rep. Trent Franks were convinced to step down. Where federal politics still seems to be failing to take sexual harassment allegations seriously is in the race for an Alabama senate seat. President Donald Trump, who’d danced around supporting candidate Judge Roy Moore, endorsed him Dec. 4. The Republican National Committee (RNC), which also had kept Moore at arm’s length, joined the president later that day, pledging to fund Moore’s candidacy. Still, some Republicans felt allegations against Moore warranted closer scrutiny. Dec. 10 Alabama’s senior senator, Richard Shelby, told CNN’s State of the Union he’d voted for a Republican write-in candidate, not Moore. Alabama “deserves better,” Shelby said. The next day, RNC executive Joyce Simmons of Nebraska resigned in protest over the Moore endorsement. Will #metoo infiltrate the White House?
Mario Karted: One of the few positives in the #metoo events is that at least the latest apology was good. Eater reported Dec. 11 celebrity chef Mario Batali will step away from the day-to-day of his restaurants “for an unspecified period” in the wake of #metoo allegations from four women. The quartet say his inappropriate conduct spanned 20 years. Batali wrote in part: “I apologize to the people I have mistreated and hurt...much of the behavior described does, in fact, match up with ways I have acted. That behavior was wrong and there are no excuses. I take full responsibility and am deeply sorry for any pain, humiliation or discomfort I have caused to my peers, employees, customers, friends and family.” Nicely done, chef. ABC, which carries The Chew, a daily show Batali co-hosts, said it’s investigating allegations and has asked the chef to take a leave of absence. Now it’s up to Batali & Bastianich, which manages the chef’s empire of 24 restaurants, to investigate and if necessary, mete out discipline to Batali, one of its owners. Ditto ABC.
Growth: Weber Shandwick acquired Resolute Digital, a digital marketing and tech company, and Bomoda, a data science and business intelligence firm with a speciality in China. -- EightSixtySouth of LA officially debuted. Specializing in fashion, beauty and lifestyle, its CEO is Kelly Howard.
News Bits: New England Patriots’ star quarterback Tom Brady proved again he knows how to defuse a situation almost as well as a savvy PR pro. Footage of him tongue lashing and pushing offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels on the sidelines Dec. 3 made sports headlines. While PR pros might have recommended he address the situation sooner, Brady began a press conference Dec. 9 saying, “I want to apologize to Josh for last week in Buffalo. I know our coaches work really hard. They’re responsible for putting us in a great position to succeed, so I just want to get that off my chest.” Brady was similarly direct in handling an out-of-wedlock child he and former flame Bridget Moynahan had in 2007. While controversy brewed, the quarterback, who was dating supermodel/now wife Gisele Bündchen at the time, said little before leaving summer training camp briefly to be close when Moynahan delivered. After Brady returned to camp he acknowledged the baby. Controversy pretty much defused.
FakeNews:We’ve told you about Germany’s efforts to combat fake news by making it illegal. Now Ireland is trying, too. Irish lawmakers penned a bill aimed at bots spreading fake news and influencing political debate. The bill is similar to a bipartisan proposal introduced in the U.S. Senate earlier this year in reaction to reports Russia influenced the 2016 presidential election through fakenews ads on Facebook. Ireland’s bill makes such actions a crime, Poynter reports. The U.S. version aims to force companies to adhere to tougher rules on political advertising.
People: Brownstein Groupvet Sean Carney was named content director. -- FleishmanHillard elevated Sophie Scott to global managing director, technology. Previously Scott was a senior partner and MD of technology and strategy for the U.K. and Europe, Middle East and Africa.