By Jerry Seper
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
resident Clinton fired the ambassador to Eritrea last year for sexual misconduct with two U.S. Embassy employees, according to a confidential report obtained by The Washington Times.At a time when Mr. Clinton was involved in an "inappropriate" sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky and had been accused by two other women of making crude sexual advances, he recalled Ambassador John F. Hicks.
The reasons for Mr. Hicks' recall from his post in Asmara, Eritrea --located on the Red Sea between Sudan and Ethiopia -- have not previously been made public.
The firing followed complaints to the State Department from two embassy secretaries that he repeatedly groped, kissed, fondled, touched and called them at their homes despite numerous requests that he leave them alone.
Mr. Hicks, a Clinton appointee, reportedly told one of his accusers, who is white, that she rejected him because he was black.
State Department spokeswoman Linda Topping Thursday declined comment, citing federal privacy concerns.
White House spokesman James Kennedy also declined comment on Mr. Hicks' recall. He had been named by Mr. Clinton to the ambassadorship in May 1996.
Mr. Hicks, a native of Goldsboro, N.C., was a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, having served 22 years with the U.S. Agency for International Development. The Silver Spring, Md., resident did not return calls left on a telephone-answering machine at his home.
The report by the State Department's Office of Inspector General, a copy of which was obtained late Wednesday by The Times, said a lengthy probe, which included interviews of embassy officials in Washington and Asmara, confirmed the accusations and concluded Mr. Hicks' conduct "violated standards for continued employment ... in that [he] clearly showed poor judgment and lack of discretion."
The 26-page inspector general's report, marked "personnel sensitive," said accusations against Mr. Hicks were referred in May 1997 by the State Department to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Maryland for criminal prosecution under federal sexual-abuse statutes. Two months later, the U.S. Attorney's Office opted to decline prosecution "in favor of administrative action" by the State Department, the report said.
During an interview with the Inspector General's Office, Mr. Hicks admitted he tried to kiss one of the secretaries, but only to show his affection. He denied any other improprieties and told investigators his relationship with the second woman was "strictly professional."
He said calls he made to the second woman at her home were "of a social nature" and denied ever improperly touching her.
In the course of the interview, the report said, Mr. Hicks blamed subordinates for the investigation, saying they had persuaded the women to "fabricate stories against him as part of a concerted effort to undermine his leadership and ruin his career."
The report dismissed Mr. Hicks' claim that one of the women rejected him because of his race. "She told him race had nothing to do with it; she did not want a relationship with him because she loved her husband," the report said.
Investigators concluded the accusations were valid and Mr. Hicks had created "an intimidating, hostile and offensive work environment which had the effect of unreasonably interfering with both of these women's work performance."
"Ambassador Hicks' behavior was both severe and pervasive in creating a hostile work environment for these women. It was unwelcomed, repeated, unsolicited and clearly of a sexual nature," the report said.
Mr. Hicks' recall came at a time that Mr. Clinton was having sexual relations in the Oval Office complex with Miss Lewinsky, then a 22-year-old White House intern. He also faced sexual misconduct charges in a suit filed by former Arkansas state employee Paula Jones and accusations by former White House volunteer Kathleen E. Willey, who said he made a crude sexual advance on her in the Oval Office.
Mr. Clinton has acknowledged having an inappropriate relationship with Miss Lewinsky, but has denied accusations by Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Willey.
The inspector general's report said Mr. Hicks' sexual misconduct began in January 1997 and continued through April 1997 and that the two secretaries were reluctant to report it because of his position.
Both women were interviewed by investigators over several hours during two-day periods and signed sworn affidavits saying Mr. Hicks had made unwanted sexual advances. Investigators described their testimony as "compelling and consistent" and said their information had been corroborated by interviews with other embassy officials and documents obtained in the investigation, including numerous telephone records.
The report said Mr. Hicks:
- Fondled one of the secretaries by rubbing her back and buttocks, embraced her with his arms and tried to kiss her on the mouth during a meeting in his office. He then became emotional, saying, "Baby, baby, oh baby." The secretary pushed him away and left.
- Grabbed the same secretary during another office encounter, rubbing her buttocks and inviting her to sit on his lap. When she declined and tried to leave, he put his arms around her from behind and she could feel "he was in an excited state with an erect penis."
- He then kissed her, saying, "baby, baby," moved his hand under her skirt and underwear and touched her vagina with his fingers. At that point, she told investigators she was "frozen with fear" and it took "all of her strength" to push him away.
- Called the second secretary numerous times at her home in Asmara to ask her to come to his office late at night or to tell her, "Good night, my love, sleep tight."
- Caressed that secretary's arm, while telling her he needed a "hug." At one point, he tried to kiss her in a hallway of the embassy, although "she shielded her face from him" and requested he "stop and let her go."
- Asked the second secretary "what would it take for him to get her away from her husband," and after agreeing to meet with him for a car ride "to make it clear to him she did not want a sexual relationship," had to push him off her when he made a pass.
Mr. Hicks told investigators it "never occurred to him" his conduct "might have been creating an intimidating environment for these subordinate employees."
