Weiss Dismisses Questions About Self-Funding Her Campaign With Money Made From Defending The Catholic Church From Charges of Molestation & Sexual Assault As “Employment Matters”
“Weiss’ campaign pushed back against the allegations… noting that Jason Weiss primarily represented the diocese on employment matters” – Politico 2.2.24
IRVINE, CA — The fallout from the Daily Beast’s shocking investigative report on CA-47 candidate Joanna Weiss’ self-financing of her campaign with over $230,000 earned representing the Catholic Church against sex abuse, child molestation and sexual assault claims in Orange County continued last Friday in a news story by Politico, in which Joanna Weiss’ campaign pushed back on the Daily Beast’s findings stating that Weiss “primarily represented the [Catholic] diocese on employment matters.”
“These comments are truly hurtful to the survivors of these horrifying crimes, and Joanna Weiss should immediately apologize for dismissing their sexual assault cases as ‘Employment Matters’” said Campaign Spokeswoman Amelia Matier. “Weiss’ personal finances are not only disturbing, they are disqualifying. With ballots arriving in mailboxes this week – it is fair for voters to ask why there was not a more thorough vetting of this first-time, out-of-district candidate, and why is there a flood of Republican dark money propping her up?”
Here Is What Joanna Weiss Calls “Employment Matters”
“Lawsuit accuses O.C. priest of sexually assaulting his assistant at Irvine church”
– Los Angeles 7.20.2017
In 2018, Weiss acted as the lead attorney defending the Catholic Church in the highly publicized case alleging that the Diocese of Orange knowingly covered up and abetted child grooming and sexual assault by one of its priests, who had previously been the subject of sexual misconduct claims dating back over a decade. Weiss argued that the First Amendment’s protections for freedom of religion shielded the Church from liability. After this argument was rejected, the Diocese of Orange settled the case.
“All of California’s 12 Bishops Sued for Alleged Clergy Abuse Cover-Up”
– The Daily Beast 10/08/2018
Again in 2018, Weiss acted as the lead attorney defending the Catholic Church in a highly publicized case alleging that the Church knowingly covered up and abetted child sex abuse and rape by one of its lead priests in the Diocese of Orange. Weiss represented the Diocese of Orange through multiple years of this litigation, including on appeal.
“California’s institutions face a flood of sexual abuse lawsuits”
– The Los Angeles Times 12/28/22
In 2020, Jason Weiss was lead attorney for The Roman Catholic Bishop Of Orange against a lawsuit alleging sexual abuse by Rev. Thomas Naughton, whom the Church ‘relocated to Southern California’ after earlier accusations of sexual misconduct. John Doe 54’s lawsuit claimed that Fr. Naughton committed ‘acts of childhood sexual assault’ against him from approximately ages nine through 16, including ‘sexual touching, humiliation, masturbation, and anal penetration.’
We have experienced multiple recent social movements that are making different conversations and change possible, including the Ford-Kavanaugh hearing, #WhyIDidn’t Report, Times Up, and #MeToo movements. Weiss dismissing Weiss’ representation of the Catholic Church against child sexual assault survivors as mere employment matters further victimizes these courageous survivors. Sen. Dave Min not only stands with survivors, but has authored and passed 8 bills expanding abuse survivors rights and protections, recently introduced a bill protecting adult survivors of clerical abuse, and will soon introduce two more domestic violence bills.
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California’s 47th is an open Congressional District in Orange County that includes the Cities of Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Newport Beach, and Seal Beach, and portions of Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, and Laguna Woods. Incumbent Katie Porter is vacating the seat to run for U.S. Senate. In 2022, Porter defeated former Assemblymember Republican Scott Baugh by 3.44% in this “toss-up” district. State Senator Dave Min currently represents over 80% of Congressional District 47 in Sacramento. In 2020, Min received over 158,000 votes within CA-47, defeating incumbent John Moorlach by 5.15% in this area. 19% of the registered voters in CA-47 are of Asian and Pacific Islander descent, including one of the largest Korean-American populations in the country