Women Senators Back Packwood Hearings Five Of Eight Women In Senate Sign Letter Urging Public Investigation Of Sexual And Official Misconduct Charges

Five of the eight women in the Senate, including one Republican, have called for public hearings into the accusations of sexual and official misconduct against Sen. Bob Packwood, R-Ore.

“We believe that the reputation of the Senate and the public’s interest are best served by open hearings on a matter of such grave importance,” the women wrote in a letter to Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who is chairman of the Select Committee on Ethics.

Signing the letter were Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein of California, Carol Moseley-Braun of Illinois and Patty Murray of Washington, all Democrats, as well as Olympia J. Snowe, R-Maine. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, D-Md., has called for public hearings, but she said that as a member of the ethics committee she could not sign the letter.

A spokeswoman for Boxer, who circulated the letter, said she was unable to reach the other two women in the Senate, Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas and Nancy Landon Kassebaum of Kansas, both Republicans. But in the past both have opposed public hearings. A spokesman for Kassebaum said she was leery of “the circus atmosphere they could create.”

An ethics committee report in May found “credible evidence” that Packwood made unwanted sexual advances toward women dating back to 1969, pressured lobbyists for jobs for his wife and tried to obstruct the committee’s investigation.

The committee is expected to meet today and several more times this week to try to determine its next step. Packwood at one time said he wanted public hearings, but last week he told the committee that he would forgo that right.

The committee, which is equally divided between Republicans and Democrats, could order hearings. If the committee determines that Packwood broke Senate rules, the penalties range from a reprimand from the committee, censure by the Senate or even expulsion, or he could lose his chairmanship of the Finance Committee.

Most senators have been generally mute on the Packwood case and have appeared disinclined toward public hearings. Sen. Trent Lott, the majority whip, said last week that he opposed public hearings because they could prove “embarrassing to the Senate.”

The letter from the women appeared to be the first attempt to try to build support for hearings.

“The Senate is the people’s house, not a private club,” the letter said. “Serious allegations of misconduct by any member of the Senate should be fully and publicly aired.”