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Staab Resigns Role as Senior Advisor to Pa. Dems After Controversial Facebook Comments

Valerie Kean Staab resigned her role as a senior advisor to the state Democratic Party in the wake of controversial comments she made on Facebook about sexual harassment claims.

“The Facebook comments posted by Valerie Staab reflect neither the views of the Pennsylvania Democratic party nor me.  I sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended by her actions or the Party’s response,” Pa. Dems Chairman Marcel Groen said in a statement according to the Inquirer.  

Staab came under criticism after Facebook posts saying things like “These omg he touched my ass bulls— has to stop” and “You have true victims of violence. Then you have ‘I don’t like the way he touched me,’ it’s getting to be a witch-hunt” were covered by the Inquirer.  

After the comments were covered, Staab told the Inquirer that she was not trying to offend anyone with her posts.  

After the original report, many Democrats called for Staab’s resignation from the Party, including Allegheny County Democratic Chairwoman Nancy Mills and state Rep. Leanne Krueger-Braneky (D-Delaware).

37 Responses

  1. “”the hundreds of thousands that Rendell milked from the DNC convention, would have been better used turning out another 50,000 Dems to keep PA blue..” now we know of the hundreds of thousands in ‘bonuses’ that went to the well paid politicos hand picked to do various convention related jobs . six figure ‘bonuses ‘ going to the handpicked politicos given the difficult and well paying jobs of running the convention ? . stuff like this makes me sick. that money would have been much better used to GOTV.

    PA DEM top leaders really ought to start listening to the rank and file instead of shoving candidates down our collective throats and spending money foolishly.

    and by the way — mills needs to hold onto her AC chair job because she gets SOOOOO much money renting out her little home farmstead for big dem fundraising events . she’s not gonna bite the hands the feed her, or give that cash cow up lightly.

  2. MARCEL DESTROYED THE COMMONWEALTH DEMOCRATIC PARTY . MARCEL MUST RESIGN YESTERDAY . NOW MARCEL IS GIVING THIS LOVELY WOMAN A HARD TIME . OH WAIT HE IS NOT CAPEABLE OF GIVING A HARD ANYTHING TO A WOMAN .

  3. Marcel Groen had nothing to do with these posts. Why is he guilty by association? Some women want him to silence a female??? Had he said Shut up to his advisor, you may not speak!–what would Betty Parris and Abigail Williams said then? Was the real target Marcel Groen? Who cares what his nonpaid person does or says on her Facebook? Were Betty and Abigail sent to play political games? Were you all played for fools? Start connecting the dots.

  4. Valerie Staab is a joke looking for relevance. She’s shows up at State Committee on her own dime (at least before her “title”), gets liquored up and starts picking fights in the hotel bars. One out of every three words out of her mouth if f—k, until she’s drunk then it’s a barrage of profanity until last call. The Executive Board must ask if she started getting paid for her time, travel, room and board since her new title. Was she reimbursed beforehand? What services are provided to the chair?
    Speaking of “unpaid advisors” the E Board should also look to see if the State Party is now paying for that waddling joke, Lazar Palnick as well. He holds himself out now as an advisor to Marcel. Is he getting paid too? Is he charging legal fees? Palnick likes telling people about his Clinton connections and how much juice he has in SWPA and the DNC. Ha!

    If you want to see what the REAL Party movers and shakers, including folks in camp Clinton, think of this guy, just google Lazar Palnick John Podesta
    Val and Lazar are comic relief at best. The appointments of Staab and Palnick by Chairman Groen to senior advisory levels reflect as much on his poor judgement of people as they do on the ineptness of these two accomplished failures.

    1. Speaking as a Member of DSC Executive Board, the only rooms paid for at the DSC Meetings are for Officers and staff.

      1. Well then MS Wolfe do your job and try asking relevant questions at an eboard meeting! here’s a few for you:
        1- how much money was spent by staff on ubers, in pa and when staff went to new York for pa society last year and this year?
        2 how much money was spent on PA society for staff after last year’s loss of president and us senate?
        3-how much was pent this year on staff to go to new York after we lost the pa supreme court?
        4- why do we have two offices? one in philly and one in hburg? what is the rent for each?
        5-are we in with Casey at the philly office and if so, are we paying for everything?
        6-why was there a room full of Hillary Clinton GOTV materials piled up in the Harrisburg office, never used and still sitting there months after she lost PA? why wasn’t it distributed?

        if you lack the intestinal drive(courage) to step up and ask these necessary questions please posts again below;
        I’m sure someone else on the e-board will show some leadership and ask these necessary questions. we will be watching at the February meeting.
        -The Alliance

        1. Dear MoldyBasement/TheAlliance, Thank you for your comments and your interest in the budget. If you have been paying attention, you know that many of these items were discussed at the last E-Board Meeting. A Committee was formed to go over the next years budget and send an operating budget for the PARTY to the E-board of the DSC. The full budget will be presented at the February Meeting. As for #6-I personally did not see the excess of HRC-GOTV materials. Since you know me and have my phone number, I would suggest you call me. I did answer your original question regarding expenses. When you say,”we pay”and “we have 2 offices” and “are we in with Casey”, I am unsure who “we” is.

  5. For all you non believers, this is proof that Sasquatch is alive and has been living among us

  6. As usual, Diano twists everything around to attack Wolf and Groen and to defend his buddy Jim Burn. Wake up, Diano, Burn was 1000% worse than Marcel on all of the things you’re referring to in your rant.

    1. Basement-

      Dems won PA electoral votes under Jim, not Marcel.

      Jim worked to raise money for state committee, while Marcel and Wolf went out of their way to deny and discourage donations to the state party, out of spite.

      Never heard of uber-gate abuses under Jim.

      1. What money? Compare the money under Burn to the money under Groen. Groen has never discouraged money be donated to the party. Wtf are you talking about?

        1. Hey basement idiot-
          I’m on the E board. Diano is saying Wolf, Groen, Bloomingdales, and the Randell Philly donors embargoed the party financially because they could not control Burn.
          So of course their sock puppet Groen has more money! You sound foolish and stupid. Tell Val her ice is melting in her drink at the bar and to hurry back!

          1. Ybasement is either lying or uninformed.
            Groan said he would never donate to the party as long as Burn was Chair.

        2. Go back to the basement-

          My source on this is Marcel himself. He was sitting at the bar at the Great American Pub in Conshohocken at a Montco Dems event and told me directly that he and the Montco Dems were not going to give a dime to state committee as long as Jim Burn was chairman.

          That’s about as petty as it gets. So, Marcel (and others already mentioned) purposely weakened and damaged the state party out of spite. Then, after they drove Jim out and beat their chests, they reaped what they had sowed. The party they weakened lost the state’s electoral votes. But, since Wolf picked Marcel and they’re all in bed together, they can’t admit what terrible failures they are and take the blame for their actions.

          BTW, the hundreds of thousands that Rendell milked from the DNC convention, would have been better used turning out another 50,000 Dems to keep PA blue.

          1. Hey Dipshit learn to read finance campaign reports. Reports show Montgomery County/Groen gave to the state party during Burn term. You are just so Stupid. Just go away

          2. Moron-

            No. Check the filings. There are no contributions by Marcel or the Montgomery County Democratic party from June 2014 until Jim resigned. There were contributions prior to that, which is not the time frame of this discussion.

            The embargo against Burn started when Wolf pushed to install Katie McGinty as party chair after Wolf won the 2014 primary. She was soundly rejected by the state committee members (the whip count was 2-1 against her, and she withdrew and was put in charge of that ridiculously transparent Fresh Start PAC). Jim Burn was reelected by the state committee members (as per the rules), while the Wolf-crybaby-pack claimed that the Gov candidate had the right to pick the state committee chair (which is NOT a rule).

  7. I can guarantee that if Jim Burn comes back, the women will be coming out of the woodwork to tell their stories of how Jim Burn treats women!

    1. Won’t happen.Burn wanted out before 2014 election but stayed to stick it in Wolf, Casey and Marcel’s eyes when he found out they were plotting against him.No way he goes back to promote elected officials that he thinks are idiots.

  8. @Hypocrite, There is a difference imo about making a comment in a meeting you are attending and personally at for which you have every right to comment on… I would not or could not personally discredit any man or woman for their feelings of how it was to be sexually harrassed. I applaud Nancy Mills for knowing that difference.

    1. Mary Mary Mary let’s be clear- U sayin spoken words at a public meeting by elected Democratic Committeeman leader agists women is ok. But a Non elected female is not ok to debate on hers own facebook HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
      You done say a applauds should be given to Nancy-Really??? Nancy should step down

        1. Tom W. So Nancy the savior of women by attacking another female. But refusing to protect women in Upper Saint Clair from Abuse from her buddy the male area leader Brien Wall… Interesting……. Caution Nancy baby has lots of skeletons in her closet. That are going to come out… FYI Nancy is NOT liked.

  9. David Diano openly supports abolishment of the 1st Amendment Rights! Proudly Signs petition to do so.
    Democratic State Representative Leanne Krueger-Braneky while on State Taxpayer dimes supports restricting 1st Amendment rights of women who disagree with her. Resign Leanne!!!
    Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

  10. So in other words, we will continue to see her at state committee like we did prior to being appointed “advisor” to Marcel? Never made sense to me to attend these functions on your own dime if you are not even a StateCommittee member… Could Ms. Staab have been appointed to then have the committee pay for rooms, meals, etc.? What could Ms. Staab possibly be advising Mr. Groen of? Did the previous State Chairs have a handful of appointed “advisors”

  11. Allegheny County Democratic Chairwomen Nancy Mills is a complete fraud.
    August 2017 Area leader located in Upper Saint Clair. Committeeman/AREA Leader for the County Democrat Party Brien Wall stands and states “I don’t want another God Dam women shoved down my &%$#@ throat” Chair Mills stands at meeting and defends his right to comment.
    Those who throw the first stone must stand for interrogation. Mills is a fraud – does not support women. Proof in is in the pudding.

      1. Brien Wall is my guy. He brokered my Chairwomen County position. Women just sit down and shut up the hell up.

  12. Val Staub is a beast. Shame on Chairman Groen for appointing this woman to a position because they are “close friends” against all better judgment. She is not a good Democrat and this now makes all Democrats question Marcel’s judgment as our leader – if we didn’t already.

  13. Kean Staab resigned days ago.
    Dear Chairman Groen 12/1/2017

    I formally write to you to remove myself from any and all positions within the Pennsylvania Democratic State Party effective 12/1/2017.

    In light of the recent controversy surrounding my comments on my Facebook page, it has become clear that I can no longer continue to do the good work for this party as I have become a focal point for animus that is affecting your ability to lead the party.

    Although I have clearly continued to maintain that sexual harassment in the work place and sexual violence anywhere are blights on our society and our democracy, I have to acknowledge that my attempts to start a dialogue on other issues have divided many and most importantly have impacted your ability to lead the party.

    It was my honor and privilege to have worked with you to build a party from the East to West of Pennsylvania.

    It has been my pleasure to stand beside you and travel across Pennsylvania and help spread the message of “a team can make a better tomorrow”.

    I will continue to be a proud democrat and continue to Stand and fight with an open voice and to encourage reasoned debate about the issues of our time.

    In closing, please know, I consider you to be one of the greatest leaders of my lifetime.

    1. Old news-

      I think the term you are looking for is: “back-dating” or “revisionist history”.

      Because, Nancy Mills and Leanne Krueger-Braneky were still on about it past the 1st. Only this morning, I signed an online petition from Leanne Krueger-Braneky site calling for Staab’s resignation.

      What we actually have appears to be Staab resigning TODAY and merely generating a retroactive letter with a 12/1/2017 date.

      Marcel and his “team” couldn’t put together a two-piece jigsaw puzzle.

  14. In the Dec 1st original story:
    —- excerpt
    As for Groen, he acknowledged the comments weren’t particularly sensitively worded, but he also played Switzerland.

    “It’s not the line of the party,” he said, adding that “there are lots of people who express views that are not the mainstream of the party. But we need to permit people to speak as long as they don’t cross the line.”
    —–

    What the new Dec 5th Inquirer article adds, that PoliticsPA left out, was that:
    ——— excerpt
    In a statement Tuesday, Democratic party chairman Marcel Groen said he asked Valerie Kean Staab to resign her senior adviser post, an unpaid position, over posts and comments on Facebook that argued that some women exaggerate their experiences involving sexual harassment.
    ———

    So, 4 days ago, Marcel was “a-okay” with what she said. In the intervening 4 days, he got a sh*tstorm from the women in the party (and plenty of the men too).

    If you are an unpaid senior adviser (whom I assumed that Marcel appointed/picked in the first place), what is the difference from being “fired” vs “asked to resign”? Is the difference that Marcel can’t directly “fire” her and needs a vote/decision by the executive committee? It’s not like there is severance pay.

    Of course the biggest question is: Why the f*ck is Marcel STILL party chairman after having presided over the first Dem PA electoral college loss in 24 years? Why is Marcel STILL party chair after UBER-gate and the drunken-sailor spending on the PA Dems credit card?

    Why hasn’t Wolf asked him to resign? Why hasn’t he offered to resign? Why hasn’t the committee demanded his resignation?

    I wonder if Jim Burn is printing up “I told you so” buttons. 🙂

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