Jessica Louise Cutler (born May 18, 1978 in
Monterey, California
Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bo ...
) is a blogger, an author, and former
congressional staff assistant who was fired for detailing her active sexual life, including receiving money for having sex (
prostitution
Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...
), in her blog.
Career
Education
Cutler attended
Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
, and was a photo editor at the student newspaper,
Daily Orange
''The Daily Orange'', commonly referred to as ''The D.O.'', is an independent student newspaper published in Syracuse, New York. It is free and published daily during the Syracuse University academic year.
It was one of the first college pape ...
.
Washingtonienne
In 2004 while a staff assistant for Senator
Michael DeWine
Richard Michael DeWine (; born January 5, 1947) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 70th and current governor of Ohio. A member of the Republican Party, DeWine began his career as a prosecutor before being elected to the Ohi ...
, Cutler published a short-lived blog called ''Washingtonienne'' describing her life in Washington, D.C. which included graphic details of her sex life.
Cutler justified receiving money from her lovers by saying, "I'm sure I am not the only one who makes money on the side this way: How can anybody live on $25K/year??"
Her identity was revealed by the blog "
Wonkette
''Wonkette'' is an American online magazine of topical and political gossip, established in 2004 by Gawker Media and founding editor Ana Marie Cox. The editor since 2012 is Rebecca Schoenkopf, formerly of ''OC Weekly''. ''Wonkette'' covers U.S. ...
" in May 2004, which resulted in a
scandal
A scandal can be broadly defined as the strong social reactions of outrage, anger, or surprise, when accusations or rumours circulate or appear for some reason, regarding a person or persons who are perceived to have transgressed in some way. Th ...
on
Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill, in addition to being a metonym for the United States Congress, is the largest historic residential neighborhood in Washington, D.C., stretching easterly in front of the United States Capitol along wide avenues. It is one of the ...
.
On May 21, 2004, Cutler was fired for "unacceptable use of Senate computers" by Senator DeWine. Media treatment of Cutler was harsh, the ''Philadelphia Daily News'' going so far as to label her a "DC slut". Cutler, though, has been relatively accepting of her notoriety:
In summer 2004,
Playboy.com
''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother.
K ...
featured an interview and nude pictures of Cutler.
She wrote a novel based on her experiences and blog: ''The Washingtonienne: A Novel'', selling it for a reported $300,000. A reviewer for the ''Washington Post'' wrote, "''The Washingtonienne'' gives hints of being lively, funny and agreeably in-your-face." Judy Bachrach of ''
The Weekly Standard
''The Weekly Standard'' was an American neoconservative political magazine of news, analysis and commentary, published 48 times per year. Originally edited by founders Bill Kristol and Fred Barnes, the ''Standard'' had been described as a "red ...
'' wrote, "This is a novel of uncommon candor, humor, and perspicacity, and I loved every page of it."
Steinbuch lawsuit
In June 2005, Robert Steinbuch, who says that he is the person Cutler referred to as "RS" on her blog, filed a lawsuit against her, seeking
over $75,000 in damages. Steinbuch's complaint and related filings, filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., describe the case as for "defamation," "false light," "
invasion of privacy
The right to privacy is an element of various legal traditions that intends to restrain governmental and private actions that threaten the privacy of individuals. Over 150 national constitutions mention the right to privacy. On 10 December 194 ...
for public revelation of private facts," the "intentional infliction of emotional distress," and "other causes of action." Cutler is represented by Atlanta lawyer, Matthew C. Billips, and D.C. lawyer, John R. Ates. On May 30, 2007, Cutler filed for bankruptcy in an attempt to protect herself from potential debts. Listed among potential creditors were some of her former attorneys, as well as Steinbuch.
At the time she filed for bankruptcy, staying the case in the DC District Court, a motion to dismiss—as a sanction against Steinbuch for refusing to comply with Court Ordered discovery—was still pending.
Steinbuch also filed a $20 million suit against her in
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
, where he lives and works as a law professor. The lawsuit is being eyed closely by privacy groups because it could establish whether bloggers are obligated to protect the privacy of those they name in their online public blogs.
The Arkansas case was dismissed for
forum non-conveniens
''Forum non conveniens'' (Latin for "an inconvenient forum") (FNC) is a mostly common law legal doctrine through which a court acknowledges that another forum or court where the case might have been brought is a more appropriate venue for a legal ...
by the district court. However, the United States Court of Appeals reversed the district judge in Arkansas, holding that he abused his discretion and ruled incorrectly. Eventually, after the case was sent back to the district judge in Arkansas, the district judge transferred the case to another judge.
It was reported in 2007 that cable television channel
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
and entertainment company
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
, whom Steinbuch also sued, are working on a TV series about Cutler's story.
According to the ''New York Law Journal'', Steinbuch was ordered to reimburse discovery expenses regarding a deposition to Cutler's attorney Billips in June 2009. Billips has filed an affidavit requesting over $14,000 in fees and expenses.
Personal life
In 2008, she married Charles Rubio, a lawyer, in New York City. She gave birth in August 2009 to a daughter, Jessica-Louise.
Jessica Cutler a Mom!
/ref>
Books
*''The Washingtonienne: A Novel''. Hyperion Books (2005). Hardcover: , .
*''Sexe au Capitole''. Plon (2006). .
References
External links
Weekly Standard book review
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cutler, Jessica
1978 births
Living people
People from Monterey, California
American people of Korean descent
American bloggers
21st-century American novelists
American columnists
Syracuse University alumni
Journalists from Washington, D.C.
Employees of the United States Senate
American women novelists
21st-century American women writers
Journalists from California
Novelists from California
American women non-fiction writers
21st-century American non-fiction writers
American women columnists
American women bloggers