Harold Ford Jr. turned to Twitter on Thursday afternoon in response to sexual misconduct allegations that led Morgan Stanley to fire the former congressman, who represented the Ninth Congressional District that encompasses Memphis.
“I will now be bringing legal action against the reporter who made these false claims about me as well as Morgan Stanley for improper termination,” Ford said in the last of a string of tweets.
Morgan Stanley dismissed Ford, who served as congressman from 1997 to 2007, on Thursday. The financial services company sent word of its action with this statement:
“He has been terminated for conduct inconsistent with our values and in violation of our policies.”
HuffPost reported Thursday that a woman alleged that Ford forcibly grabbed her one evening in Manhattan, engaging in harassment and intimidation. The incident took place several years ago and there are emails that confirm the interaction, HuffPost reported.
Ford told The Huffington Post that, “False claims like this undermine the real silence breakers.”
Ford’s firing comes amid allegations of sexual harassment and assault toppling key figures in the entertainment and political arena. Time magazine on Wednesday named the “Silence Breakers” its Person of the Year. They shared personal stories about harassment and assault and sparked the #MeToo movement.
Here is the series of tweets Ford posted on Thursday.
- In regards to news today, This simply did not happen. I have never forcibly grabbed any woman or man in my life. 12:45 PM – 7 Dec 2017
- Having drinks and dinner for work is part of my job, and all of my outreach to the news reporter making these false allegations. 2:07 PM – 7 Dec 2017
- was professional and at the direction of my firm for business purposes. I support and have tremendous respect for the brave women now speaking out in this important national dialogue. False claims like this though undermine the real silence breakers. 2:10 PM – 7 Dec 2017
- I will now be bringing legal action against the reporter who made these false claims about me as well as Morgan Stanley for improper termination. 2:12 PM – 7 Dec 2017
(This story reflects a report from the Associated Press.)