Former Rep. Harley Rouda (D-CA) delivered a scathing op-ed for The Orange County Register, coming out decisively in opposition to his former colleague — Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) — in her bid for the California Senate seat vacated by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).
Rouda, who served just one term in Congress (from 2019-2021), said that he was surprised to learn that he had a featured role in Porter’s memoir — primarily as a punching bag — as she often held him up as an example when she wanted to attack the “privilege” that came with family wealth.
In the memoir, Porter claimed that Rouda had once mistaken her for a valet at an event — and claimed that he had used his position in Congress to grow his wealth.
“Katie, as you were watching and judging my family and, as you say, ‘comparing myself to Harley,’ I was busy working, writing, passing legislation, and bringing home resources to Orange County. It cost my family money for me to serve, quite the opposite of what you imply,” Rouda wrote, arguing that Porter herself was no stranger to the privilege she publicly scorned.
“Porter boasts about taking on powerful special interests – using her whiteboard prop to scold executives,” Rouda continued, referencing reports that she had taken Wall Street money after promising to reject such campaign contributions. “Talk about hypocrisy. Her whiteboard everywoman act is a fake. She is, at heart, an accomplished actor who stages classless photo opps on the House floor … But she doesn’t want you to see her that way. Instead, she’s the victim. Always.”
Rouda pivoted then to address Porter directly: “Because I know you will read this, let me say a few things to you directly: I never asked you to valet my car, I didn’t get rich from my time in Congress, and I didn’t purchase a ‘DC penthouse for millions weeks after the election.’ Those are all unadulterated lies and that makes you a liar.”
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Rouda concluded — after referencing reports of abuse from several of Porter’s staffers — that Porter was “no better than a bully. A bully with a white board who is in this for power and her ego.”
