Katherine Lauren Hill (born August 25, 1987) is an American former politician and
social services
Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. They may be provided by individuals, private and independent organisations, or administe ...
administrator from
Agua Dulce, California
Agua Dulce () (Spanish for "Sweet Water") is a census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It lies at an elevation of , northeast of Santa Clarita. The community had a population of 3,342 at the 2010 census and co ...
. A member of the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
, she served as the
U.S. representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
for
California's 25th congressional district
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the mo ...
from January to November 2019.
Hill is the former
executive director
Executive director is commonly the title of the chief executive officer of a non-profit organization, government agency or international organization.
The title is widely used in North American and European not-for-profit organizations, though ...
of People Assisting the Homeless (PATH), a statewide non-profit organization working to end homelessness throughout
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. She won her seat by defeating incumbent
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
Steve Knight in the
2018 midterm elections
The 2018 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. These midterm elections occurred during Republican Donald Trump's term. Democrats made a net gain of 41 seats in the United States House of Representatives, gaining a majo ...
.
[Panzar, Javier (March 8, 2017)]
"Democrat Katie Hill will challenge GOP Rep. Steve Knight in 2018"
''Los Angeles Times''.
On October 18, 2019,
RedState
''RedState'' is an American conservative political blog.
Prior to 2017, it organized "RedState gatherings", a summer convention for conservative activists and grassroots political activism which featured many prominent public figures in conserv ...
, a
news blog
Citizen journalism, also known as collaborative media, participatory journalism, democratic journalism, guerrilla journalism or street journalism, is based upon public citizens "playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, a ...
, published a report on an alleged affair between Hill and her Legislative Director, which they both deny.
On October 23, 2019, Hill admitted that she had had an inappropriate relationship with a campaign staffer before she became a Member of Congress. On October 27, 2019, she announced she would resign from Congress.
Nude photos of Hill were published by the ''
Daily Mail
The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper and news websitePeter Wilb"Paul Dacre of the Daily Mail: The man who hates liberal Britain", ''New Statesman'', 19 December 2013 (online version: 2 January 2014) publish ...
'', a British
tabloid. Hill called the release of the photos an
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 ...
and vowed to advocate for victims of
revenge porn. She resigned on November 3, 2019; her last day on the floor was two days earlier.
In June 2021, Hill was ordered to pay $220,000 to the ''Daily Mail'' and other media, to reimburse the legal fees these companies spent defending themselves against her accusations. In July 2022, Hill declared bankruptcy.
Early life and education
Hill was born in
Abilene, Texas
Abilene ( ) is a city in Taylor and Jones Counties in Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 census, making it the 27th-most populous city in the state of Texas. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan statis ...
, and grew up in the
Saugus section of
Santa Clarita, California
Santa Clarita (; Spanish for "Little St. Clare") is a city in northwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. With a 2020 census population of 228,673, it is the third-largest city by population in Los Angeles County, the 17th ...
. Her mother, Rachel, is a local
registered nurse
A registered nurse (RN) is a nurse who has graduated or successfully passed a nursing program from a recognized nursing school and met the requirements outlined by a country, state, province or similar government-authorized licensing body to o ...
and her father, Mike, is a police lieutenant. Hill attended public schools in the
Santa Clarita Valley
The Santa Clarita Valley (SCV) is part of the upper watershed of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. The valley was part of the Rancho San Francisco Mexican land grant. Located in Los Angeles County, its main population center is th ...
and graduated from
Saugus High School in 2004. She attended
California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge) is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. With a total enrollment of 38,551 students (as of Fall 2021), it has the second largest un ...
where she earned a
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in English and a
Master of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration (M.P.Adm., M.P.A., or MPA) is a specialized higher professional post graduate degree in public administration, similar/ equivalent to the Master of Business Administration but with an emphasis on the issues of ...
.
Earlier career
Hill began her career as a policy advocate at People Assisting the Homeless (PATH), a nonprofit organization developing affordable and supportive services for the
homeless in California. Her husband allegedly worked there as well, and it is claimed Hill was his boss. Later as the
Executive Director
Executive director is commonly the title of the chief executive officer of a non-profit organization, government agency or international organization.
The title is widely used in North American and European not-for-profit organizations, though ...
for PATH, she raised the organization from a local force in
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is the ...
to one of the largest nonprofit providers of homes for the homeless in
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
.
Hill helped pass a
ballot initiative
In political science, an initiative (also known as a popular initiative or citizens' initiative) is a means by which a petition signed by a certain number of registered voters can force a government to choose either to enact a law or hold a pu ...
,
Measure H, during spring of 2017 to help alleviate homelessness by providing $1.2 billion in funds for homeless services in Los Angeles County.
[Pramuk, Jacob (April 4, 2018)]
"The number of women running for office is rising. 7 first-time House candidates explain why they're running in the age of Trump"
CNBC. Hill and her husband also raised
goats
The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of Caprinae, goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a membe ...
in
Agua Dulce, California
Agua Dulce () (Spanish for "Sweet Water") is a census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It lies at an elevation of , northeast of Santa Clarita. The community had a population of 3,342 at the 2010 census and co ...
.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2018
![Katie Hill (48002915261)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Katie_Hill_%2848002915261%29.jpg)
On March 8, 2017, Hill announced her candidacy for the
U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
for
California's 25th congressional district
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the mo ...
, her home district, challenging incumbent
Steve Knight, a Republican who had held the office since 2014.
Knight won re-election in 2016.
In 2018, Hill came in second place in the
primary election for California's 25th Congressional District, allowing her to advance to the November 6, 2018, general election, where she again faced Knight. In the general election, she defeated Knight by a 54% vs. 46% tally.
She was the subject of a documentary-style series of episodes that aired on the
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 ...
show ''
Vice News Tonight''. The series documented the Hill campaign as the "most millennial campaign ever" for Congress. ''Vice News Tonight'' reportedly planned on doing a follow-up episode regarding Hill's advancement to the general election. In the weeks leading up to the
midterm election
Apart from general elections and by-elections, midterm election
refers to a type of election where the people can elect their representatives and other subnational officeholders (e.g. governor, members of local council) in the middle of the term ...
, Hill was endorsed by former President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
, who also attended a campaign event in
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...
leading up to the election.
Political positions
Hill stated during her race for office that her top issues were addressing healthcare, rebuilding the middle class with policies that address
income inequality
There are wide varieties of economic inequality, most notably income inequality measured using the distribution of income (the amount of money people are paid) and wealth inequality measured using the distribution of wealth (the amount of we ...
and
affordable housing
Affordable housing is housing which is deemed affordable to those with a household income at or below the median as rated by the national government or a local government by a recognized housing affordability index. Most of the literature on affo ...
, and getting big money out of politics.
She also stated her support for
Medicare for All
Single-payer healthcare is a type of universal healthcare in which the costs of essential healthcare for all residents are covered by a single public system (hence "single-payer").
Single-payer systems may contract for healthcare services from ...
.
Hill reportedly ran a
grassroots
A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to effect change at t ...
campaign that didn't accept money from corporate
political action committees.
In the first quarter of 2018, she raised over $400,000, bringing her total to $1,092,025 raised, with more than 9,800 individual contributions and more than 5,100 individual donors.
Hill supports comprehensive
immigration reform
Immigration reform is change to the current immigration policy of a country. In its strict definition, ''reform'' means "to change into an improved form or condition, by amending or removing faults or abuses". In the political sense, "immigration ...
while working towards greater funding and security along the southern border to counter primarily illegal drug trafficking and other various crimes. She also supports some form of physical barrier along certain areas of the southern border.
According to an October 2018 article in ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'', Hill is a gun owner, saying, "We have the highest number of law enforcement officials of any district in my county. And we have the second-highest number of veterans of any district in the country. On top of that, a quarter of our district is rural. So people do own guns. That's how my husband and I both grew up. Forty percent of our district owns a gun or lives in a household with a gun."
Tenure
Before the start of the
116th Congress, Hill and
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
freshman U.S. Representative
Joe Neguse
Joseph D. Neguse ( ; born May 13, 1984) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Colorado's 2nd congressional district since 2019. The district is based in Boulder and includes many of Denver's northwestern s ...
were chosen as the freshman class representatives for the
Democratic Caucus.
Committee assignments
*
Committee on Armed Services
**
Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces
**
Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
*
Committee on Oversight and Reform
The Committee on Oversight and Reform is the main investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives.
The committee's broad jurisdiction and legislative authority make it one of the most influential and powerful panels in the ...
(Vice Chair)
**
Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy
**
United States House Oversight Subcommittee on Environment
The Subcommittee on Environment is a subcommittee within the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
Jurisdiction
he Subcommittee sall have oversight jurisdiction over: global climate change; environmental protec ...
*
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more ...
**
Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics
Caucus memberships
*
Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus
The Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus was formed by openly gay representatives Tammy Baldwin and Barney Frank June 4, 2008, to advance LGBT+ rights. The caucus had 165 members (164 Democrats and one Republican, Jeff Van Drew) in the 116t ...
(Co-Chair)
*
Congressional Progressive Caucus
The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is a congressional caucus affiliated with the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in the United States Congress. The CPC represents the most Left-wing politics, left-leaning faction of the ...
*
New Democrat Coalition
The New Democrat Coalition is a congressional caucus, caucus in the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives of the United States Congress made up of Democratic Party (United States), Democrats, primarily Centrism, cent ...
Accusations of improper relationships
On October 18, 2019, the conservative political blog ''
RedState
''RedState'' is an American conservative political blog.
Prior to 2017, it organized "RedState gatherings", a summer convention for conservative activists and grassroots political activism which featured many prominent public figures in conserv ...
'' published allegations that Hill was involved in an
extramarital affair
An affair is a sexual relationship, romantic friendship, or passionate attachment in which at least one of its participants has a formal or informal commitment to a third person who may neither agree to such relationship nor even be aware of i ...
with her male legislative director. Hill denied such allegations,
with Hill saying that her
estranged husband, whom she described as abusive, was doing everything he could to humiliate her, and that her political opponents were exploiting a private matter for political gain.
Her husband denied the allegations of abuse. Hill reached out to the
Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia Pelosi (; ; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who has served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2019 and previously from 2007 to 2011. She has represented in the United States House of ...
to deny the allegations.
On October 23, 2019, Hill sent an email to constituents in which she admitted to an inappropriate relationship with a campaign staffer before becoming a member of Congress.
The relationship was with a 22-year-old female subordinate recently out of college. ''RedState'' also published nude photos of Hill as part of the story. Hill said that the
U.S. Capitol Police opened an investigation into who may have leaked the photos.
Investigation
The
House Ethics Committee
The Committee on Ethics, often known simply as the Ethics Committee, is one of the committees of the United States House of Representatives. Prior to the 112th Congress it was known as the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.
The House Et ...
announced on October 23, 2019, that it would conduct an investigation into the allegation that Hill had an affair with her legislative director, which, if true, would be in violation of House ethics reforms that were implemented in 2018 in response to the
#MeToo movement. Hill promised to cooperate with the Congressional ethics investigation regarding allegations of wrongdoing as a member of Congress.
Resignation
On October 27, Hill announced via
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
that she would resign from Congress.
She wrote, "This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but I believe it is the best thing for my constituents and our country."
Speaker of the House
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia Pelosi (; ; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who has served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2019 and previously from 2007 to 2011. She has represented in the United States House of ...
said Hill made "some errors in judgment that made her continued service as a Member untenable." Hill vowed to combat
revenge porn after photos of her were leaked.
In her last speech before Congress on October 31, 2019, Hill said there was a "
double standard
A double standard is the application of different sets of principles for situations that are, in principle, the same. It is often used to describe treatment whereby one group is given more latitude than another. A double standard arises when two ...
" and "
misogynistic
Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced fo ...
culture" that resulted in her decision to step down from her position. In the address to Congress she said, "I'm leaving, but we have men who have been credibly accused of intentional acts of sexual violence and remain in boardrooms, on the Supreme Court, in this very body, and worst of all, in the
Oval Office
The Oval Office is the formal working space of the President of the United States. Part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, it is located in the West Wing of the White House, in Washington, D.C.
The oval-shaped room ...
." She closed by saying, "as my final act I voted to move forward with the
impeachment of Donald Trump on behalf of the women of the United States of America."
On December 7, 2019, Hill penned an
op-ed
An op-ed, short for "opposite the editorial page", is a written prose piece, typically published by a North-American newspaper or magazine, which expresses the opinion of an author usually not affiliated with the publication's editorial board. O ...
in ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' in which she described the events that led to her decision to resign, and mentions that she was suicidal during that time period.
Aftermath
In the
special election
A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-larges ...
held in the spring of 2020, Hill endorsed
State Assemblywoman Christy Smith, who ultimately lost the election. Hill, whose PAC contributed $200,000, said that Smith had been considered "the mom of Democratic politics" in the district for years, and that "there's no one else that I could even think of that I would want to run for this." Some Democrats regretted Hill's involvement in the campaign.
After Hill's resignation,
Monica Lewinsky
Monica Samille Lewinsky (born July 23, 1973) is an American activist and writer. President Bill Clinton admitted to having an affair with Lewinsky while she worked at the White House as an intern in 1995 and 1996. The affair, and its repercus ...
reached out and offered to talk about some of the similarities and differences in being the victim of
public shaming
Public humiliation or public shaming is a form of punishment whose main feature is dishonoring or disgracing a person, usually an offender or a prisoner, especially in a public place. It was regularly used as a form of judicially sanctioned puni ...
.
In December 2020, Hill filed a lawsuit against her ex-husband, the ''Daily Mail'', and RedState over "non consensual porn". On April 7, 2021, a judge ruled in favor of the ''Daily Mail'', finding that the photos are protected as "a matter of public issue or public interest" under the
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution prevents the government from making laws that regulate an establishment of religion, or that prohibit the free exercise of religion, or abridge the freedom of speech, the ...
. Hill's attorneys say they plan to appeal the decision. The judge also ordered Hill to pay roughly $220,000 in fees to the ''Daily Mail'' and a couple of journalists.
On April 5, 2021, Hill called for
Matt Gaetz
Matthew Louis Gaetz II ( ; born May 7, 1982) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the U.S. representative for since 2017. A Republican, he has been described as an ally of former president Donald Trump, as well as a proponen ...
to resign in an opinion piece for ''
Vanity Fair'', after it was reported that Gaetz had allegedly shown pictures of naked women he claimed to have slept with, including to colleagues on the House floor. Gaetz had supported Hill after the leak of her photos, and Hill called him an "unlikely friend" during their time in Congress.
Electoral history
Personal life
Hill
came out
Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity.
Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...
as
bisexual
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...
after high school. She was California's first openly bisexual person to be elected to Congress.
She had a
tattoo
A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several Process of tatt ...
of an
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia est ...
on her lower groin, which she got after a
sexual assault
Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence, which ...
as a teenager. The tattoo has since been covered over after photos were published in 2019.
In July 2010, Hill married Kenny Heslep, whom she began dating just after high school. They resided in
Agua Dulce, California
Agua Dulce () (Spanish for "Sweet Water") is a census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It lies at an elevation of , northeast of Santa Clarita. The community had a population of 3,342 at the 2010 census and co ...
, on their farm, where they fostered
rescue animals. Heslep filed for divorce in 2019 and the divorce was settled in October 2020.
In December 2020, a judge awarded Hill a
restraining order
A restraining order or protective order, is an order used by a court to protect a person in a situation involving alleged domestic violence, child abuse, assault, harassment, stalking, or sexual assault.
Restraining and personal protection or ...
against her ex-husband. By July 2019, Hill was in a romantic relationship with Alex Thomas, a writer. Hill also rented an apartment in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, with freshman representative
Lauren Underwood
Lauren Ashley Underwood (born October 4, 1986) is an American politician and registered nurse who is a U.S. representative from Illinois's 14th congressional district as a member of the Democratic Party. Her district, once represented by former ...
.
Hill's
memoir
A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based in the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobi ...
, ''She Will Rise: Becoming a Warrior in the Battle for True Equality,'' in which she shares her experiences from her time in politics, was published in 2020.
See also
*
List of federal political sex scandals in the United States
Many sex scandals in American history have involved incumbent United States federal elected politicians, as well as persons appointed with the consent of the United States Senate. Sometimes, the officials have denied the accusations, have apologize ...
*
List of LGBT members of the United States Congress
This is a list of lesbian, gay, and bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans who have served in the United States Congress.
26 members of the LGBT community are known to have held office in the U.S. Congress. In the House, 25 LGBT people he ...
*
Women in the United States House of Representatives
Women have served in the United States House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber, since the 1916 election of Republican Jeannette Rankin from Montana, the first woman in Con ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hill, Katie
1987 births
Living people
American feminists
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American women politicians
21st-century American writers
21st-century American women writers
Articles containing video clips
Bisexual feminists
Bisexual politicians
Bisexual women
California State University, Northridge alumni
Female members of the United States House of Representatives
LGBT members of the United States Congress
LGBT people from California
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from California
American memoirists