Nancy Pelosi to Mayor Bob Filner After Sexual-Harasment Allegations: 'Step Down'

By Adam Janos (@AdamTJanos) (staff@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Aug 17, 2013 09:36 AM EDT

Tags Nancy Pelosi, Bob Filner, san diego, Sexual Harrassment

The calls are coming in for Mayor Bob Filner to resign. Most recently and prominently, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi took to twitter to admonish the mayor, tweeting that: "Mayor Filner is out of rehab, he should be out of the Mayor's Office - should not subject San Diegans to pain & expense of a recall."

Mayor Filner is out of rehab, he should be out of the Mayor's Office - should not subject San Diegans to pain & expense of a recall.

— Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) August 15, 2013

Filner, a Democrat, serves as the chief executive to the city of San Diego, the 8^th largest metropolis in the United States. On July 10^th, former City Council member Donna Frye handed the mayor a letter requesting his immediate resignation for harassing multiple women. Mayor Filner issued a public apology the following day, but refused to resign as the public accusations began rolling in from 16 women (and counting). Amongst those accusing the embattled governor of harassment are his former communications director Irene McCormack , who has filed a lawsuit, and a 67-year-old great-grandmother.

Since that time, calls in party leadership for Filner's resignation have grown louder and more numerous, with both California Senators (Democrats Diane Feinstein and Barbara Boxter), all nine members of the San Diego City Council, the Democratic Party of San Diego and Democratic National Committee Chairman Debbie Wasserman Schultz all calling for the mayor to remove himself from office.

Filner, for his part, has done his best to hang on for his political life. On the 26^th of July, the mayor announced that he would undergo two weeks of intensive therapy for his aggressive behavior towards women before returning to work on the 19^th of August. He later changed his mind, leaving therapy after a week and insisting that he would continue with outpatient work.

Meanwhile, efforts to recall the mayor have begun. At a "Freedom from Filner" rally at City Hall on Sunday, opponents of the mayor will begin in their attempt at the 101,597 signatures necessary to put the mayor's ouster on the ballot.