(Newser)
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North Carolina's Democratic Party is in turmoil after allegations of sexual harassment and a cover-up, the News & Observer reports. Executive Director Jay Parmley has resigned amid calls for both him and Party Chairman David Parker to step down. "Even though I have not done anything wrong, it is clear to me that I need to move on," Parmley wrote in a resignation letter. According to the Daily Caller, both Parmley and the alleged victim had signed non-disclosure agreements, although the emails obtained by the site don't make the identities of the victim or the alleged harasser clear.
The party is accused of paying off the alleged victim, a former staffer who was fired after complaining about harassment by a senior party official earlier this year, and of having him sign the form in order to keep him quiet. Parmley and Parker, who accepted Parmley's resignation but did not step down himself, blamed politics for inflating the issue, but some Democratic activists and party officials still called for Parker to resign as well. The party "must deal with sexual harassment claims in an open and transparent fashion," says one consultant in a resolution, "and event a hint or perception of a cover-up is damaging to the party's credibility."
