White House defends Jill Biden’s “work husband” after sexual harassment allegations

White Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will not say if Jill Biden is defending Anthony Bernal from several sexual harassment allegations on Thursday. Bernal, regarded as one of the most powerful White House officials, is accused of verbal sexual harassment. According to the New York Post, three separate sources alleged Bernal speculated over the sizes of his coworkers genitals. After a reporter from the Post pressed Jean-Pierre about the allegations, she quickly jumped to Bernal’s defence, even calling him a friend. “I have known Anthony for some time now. I’ve known him for more than a decade. I’ve worked closely with him. And I consider him a friend, but also a colleague that I respect,” she said. White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients dismissed the allegations against Bernal, and did so without investigating them, labelling them “unfounded”. As reported by the New York Post, sources have said Bernal’s title as Jill’s senior advisor potentially puts his influence higher than Zients’. The initial claims against Bernal by former staffers were made last month, with him and the White House denying the allegations.