This corrects the spelling of State Rep. Liz Linehan's last name from an earlier version

Washington — Rep. Elizabeth Esty defiantly said on Saturday she had no intention of leaving Congress as several state Democrats, including the highest-ranking member of the state Senate, called for her to resign. 

“Congresswoman Esty has long been a conscientious leader in the fight against harassment and abuse in the workplace. However, I agree with Senator Flexer that if the facts of this matter involving former staff of the congresswoman’s office are as they are alleged to be in recent news articles, then Congresswoman Esty should do the right thing and resign,” said state Senate President Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven. 

Esty said on Saturday she is not leaving Congress. 

“For those who have asked, I want to be clear that I am not resigning, that I have important work to do in Congress, including building on the lessons of this horrible series of events,” Esty said in a statement. 

State Sen. Mae Flexer, D-Mansfield, a leader in the General Assembly in strengthening sexual harassment laws, was the first to call for Esty to go. 

“We must expect more from our elected officials. We must set the example. No employer should allow this conduct,” Flexer said in a statement. “Her failure to do the right thing here hurt us all, especially as more and more women are courageously coming forward. It’s time for Rep. Esty to step aside.” 

Looney said the country is “in the midst of a national reckoning concerning sexual harassment and sexual assault.” 

“Sexual harassment is continuing to be exposed across all types of industries and all levels of government – regardless of party,” he said. 

The Democrat’s call for Esty to quit Congress is likely to encourage others in his party to do the same. 

The state Republican Party, and the National Republican Congressional Committee, demanded Esty’s resignation Friday, as did Esty’s Republican opponent, former Meriden Mayor Manny Santos. 

Esty, who has championed the #MeToo movement on Capitol Hill, kept former chief of staff Tony Baker on her payroll for three months after learning of accusations against him that included harassment, physical violence and intimidation. 

Allegations against Baker included leaving threatening messages on the cellphone of another staffer, Anna Kain, whom he once dated, and punching Kain in the back. 

Esty eventually fired Baker, but gave him a $5,000 severance and a recommendation that allowed him to obtain a job with Sandy Hook Promise, a group formed after the Newtown shooting that fights against gun violence. 

To state Rep. Diana Urban of North Stonington, another Democrat who has demanded Esty resign, the congresswoman’s role in helping Baker obtain a job at Sandy Hook Promise was especially galling. 

Baker left that job about a week ago. 

“You know what really gets to me as chairman of the Committee on Children, he got a job with Sandy Hook Promise. Someone with a history of sexual violence ended up there,” Urban said. 

Urban also said, “There is no question in my mind that she has let women down.” 

“I am also disappointed in fellow legislators who have not stepped up,” Urban said. “This is a watershed moment in history for women,” Urban said. “You need to treat women with respect.” 

State Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, also joined the growing voices calling on Esty to resign.

“Once again, we are learning of another instance of harassment in the workplace. We must do more as a society to protect everyone in the workplace," Osten said in a statement Saturday. "I commend the brave young woman for coming forward and sharing her story. It is my hope that each time an instance of abuse is brought to light that we will move one step closer to eliminating it."

“As a long time advocate for the fair treatment of women, and as someone who has fought against the culture of harassment, Congresswoman Esty should have known better and done better," Osten wrote. "Indeed, this incident demonstrates a shocking lack of judgement on the part of the Congresswoman, and therefore I believe Congresswoman Esty should resign her office.”

In the statement Esty released Saturday, she said, “My agenda going forward will include relentlessly pursuing specific actions to foster a better working environment on Capitol Hill, building on the work that has already been done to ensure safe environments for staff, looking to the best practices that have been developed in the private sector, and taking the next steps to further strengthen workplace protections and provide employees with a safe platform to raise concerns.” 

But those goals and promises did not move state Rep. Kelly Juleson-Scopino of Manchester, another Democrat in the General Assembly to demand Esty’s resignation Saturday. 

“if this were a Republican and a male, there would be an outpouring of people asking him to step down,” she said. “This isn’t a political issue, this is a moral issue.” 

Before the scandal, Esty’s seat was considered safely Democratic, even though Republicans have held that seat before.

Democrats, who are hoping to win a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives in the November elections, can’t afford to lose Esty’s seat or spend party resources defending it. 

Several Democrats have criticized Esty, saying she mishandled the situation, but have not called for her resignation. Those included Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd District, and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. 

The only Democrat — in either Washington, D.C., or Connecticut — who has publicly strongly defended Esty may be Nan Birdwhistell, formerly the three-term first selectwoman of the Town of Woodbridge. 

“Elizabeth has learned first-hand the improvements needed to protect congressional staff, and has fought and will continue to fight to implement those needed procedures and protections,” Birdwhistell said in a statement.” She is an incredible legislator who has served her constituents and nation well, and she should continue to do so.” 

Democratic state Rep. Liz Linehan, who like Esty calls Cheshire her hometown, said she had reached out to the embattled congresswoman. 

“I felt it was vital she hear first-hand from a survivor of workplace harassment,” Linehan said in a statement. “We had a frank, firm conversation. She listened to me intently, not only as a survivor, but also as a state lawmaker and a constituent. This troubling matter shines yet another spotlight on why we continue to fight for stronger protections for those not always able to speak up for themselves.” 

State Democratic Party spokeswoman Christina Polizzi issued a statement Thursday that said, “Congresswoman Esty has said herself that the actions she took were not enough,” and said it was critical to “fight for better workplace protections for women.” 

Polizzi on Saturday said she had no further comment. 

Ana Radelat is a reporter for The Connecticut Mirror (www.ctmirror.org). Copyright 2018 © The Connecticut Mirror.

aradelat@ctmirror.org