Скачать или смотреть NWFL Rep. Salzman takes offense to Kohler's sexual assault comment on her Facebook post

ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. -- An Escambia County lawmaker is under fire over comments made on social media.

Under a Facebook post by Northwest Florida Rep. Michelle Salzman over the weekend, District 2 commissioner Mike Kohler questioned Salzman's experience as a victim of sexual assault.

The Facebook post, Salzman says, was a message of hope and resiliency.

Kohler's since-deleted comment reads:

"That is so wrong! You claimed to be sexual assaulted in your military service. Men that abuse women should be prosecuted. Representative Salzman please let us support you in your fight. I will be the first to help."

Kohler then goes on to accuse Salzman of fighting to prevent road improvements in his district:

[Oh by the way] I will forgive you pushed to stop S Navy Blvd to beautify the veterans that served before they are buried. Shame politics should never become before what is right. President Lincoln should be your North Star.
WEAR News asked Kohler about the comment Monday morning. He says it wasn't his intention to diminish the severity of sexual assault.

"I understand victims as a nurse. I've been in cases with rape kits, I've had to sign victim advocates. I've been down this road," Kohler said. "I had a sailor that molested two kids -- 11 and 8 -- that's in jail when I was in Muncy. It's a serious thing, so I don't try to say it's not. Unfortunately I made a mistake by marrying those things up and I shouldn't have."

Kohler says the reason he made the comment was over Salzman's efforts to defund $1.5 million to a road project on S Navy Blvd.

"There's two or three people that have actually confirmed this already. So she obviously got caught," he said. "It's not in her district, it's in Rep. Andrade's. ... It's political, but it's unfortunate."

-WEAR News: "Why do you think it's political?
-Kohler: "I didn't support her running for congress, that's why. She's basically said that, is what I was told."
WEAR News also spoke with Salzman Monday afternoon.

"His behavior is abhorrent," she said.

Salzman claims to have little knowledge on the road project in question, saying the issue that needs to be addressed first is Kohler's conduct.

"You have an elected official, a constitutional officer that tried to bribe me on social media -- 'I'll help you with your claim of sexual assault if you fund my road,'" Salzman said. "He went on my personal Facebook page unprovoked with no conversation and posted that."

"Nobody cares about the project. We're all focused on his behavior," Salzman added. "And he's the one focused on the project! He just wants you to air a story on the project so people want it."

Salzman says she's prepared to take the issue to the governor and other officials.

"This is about your lack of respect for women and for leaders," she said. "Trying to deflect this conversation about my lack of support for funding for an area -- when I brought back more money in five years than 20 in the legislature -- is just ridiculous. It's a bold-face lie."

#florida #news #pensacola
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