A group of 35 Democratic lawmakers sent a letter Friday to leading members of the House Judiciary Committee urging them to move forward with legislation on “revenge porn” following Rep. Katie Hill’s resignation.
The California Democrat left Congress this week after nude photos and allegations that she had inappropriate sexual relationships with congressional and campaign staffers surfaced online.
{mosads}Forty-six states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation banning the publishing of intimate or explicit image of persons without their consent, called revenge porn or nonconsensual pornography (NCP), but it is not explicitly covered by a federal statute.
The group of lawmakers, led by Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.), on Friday called on House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security Chairwoman Karen Bass (D-Calif.) to advance legislation to address that gap.
The Stopping Harmful Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution (SHIELD) Act, introduced this May, would establish federal criminal liability for individuals who share private, sexually explicit or nude images without the consent of those photographed. It has yet to advance out of the subcommittee that Bass oversees.
“[T]he definition of NCP and the penalties associated with this violation varies significantly from state to state. Many of them include unnecessary and confusing requirements that allow many forms of NCP to go unpunished,” the lawmakers wrote.
“In addition, the distribution of NCP through the internet presents jurisdictional challenges. Clear and concise federal regulation can complement and coordinate local efforts to stamp out NCP. A unified federal statute is long overdue.”
The letter, which also counts Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), a subcommittee member, among its authors, focuses on Hill’s resignation to justify the push for fast-tracking federal legislation on revenge porn.
Conservative news site RedState.org and British tabloid The Daily Mail last month published nude photos of Hill without her permission along with the allegations of improper conduct with staffers.
Hill denied the alleged relationship with her legislative director, which would violate House rules, but admitted that she and her husband had a consensual relationship with a member of her campaign.
In terms of the photos, she accused her “abusive husband,” whom she is in the process of divorcing, of engaging in a “smear campaign built around cyber exploitation.”
The SHIELD Act, introduced by Reps. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) and John Katko (R-N.Y.), currently has 36 co-sponsors, including four Republicans.