TRUTH TEST: Omar targets Melton-Meaux in TV ad
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Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is facing a tougher-than-expected primary challenge to retain her 5th District congressional seat. Her main challenger and interest groups aligned against her are running an aggressive series of ads. She’s responding with an ad attacking Antone Melton-Meaux, her well-funded primary opponent.
"Antone Melton-Meaux likes to call himself progressive," the Omar ad says. "But as a partner at one of the worst union-busting law firms in the country, Antone Melton-Meaux defended corporations accused of mistreating workers and firing pregnant employees."
It is true Melton-Meaux once worked for the Jackson Lewis law firm that has nearly 1,000 attorneys across the country practicing employment law. The firm has gained a reputation as a "union-busting" law firm among progressive Democrats. As an employment law specialist, the firm has defended corporations accused of a wide range of misconduct.
It’s also true Melton-Meaux once wrote, "Is #MeToo/TimesUp turning sex harassment settlements into a modern day scarlet letter H for employers?" He wrote that in an article for Bench and Bar, the official publication of the Minnesota Bar Association, in August 2018.
His article argued that non-disclosure clauses in sexual harassment settlements can benefit companies and employees.
In this side-by-side photo, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., participates in a panel during a campaign event for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on Jan. 31 in Clive, Iowa, and 5th Congressional District candidate, Democrat Antone Melton-Meaux, answers questions during an interview in his Minneapolis office on July 22.[Marcio Jose Sanchez, Jim Mone/Associated Press]
"For the employer, these clauses protect the brand and reputation of the organization by preventing negative publicity and the prospect of further exposure in a lengthy public trial," Melton-Meaux wrote.
He goes on to highlight how clauses can also benefit employees.
"For an employee, there are also benefits to confidentiality and non-disclosure clauses. In some instances, an employee simply does not want his or her grievances or the terms of the settlement to be known to the public. Instead, an employee may wish to move on with life without being subjected to public scrutiny about the workplace incident."
Melton-Meaux wrote that article in his current role as the founder of Work Resolve Mediation, a firm he founded to settle disputes between employees and employers at companies in the Twin Cities.
Because this ad includes mostly truthful information, it gets an "A" on the "Truth Test."