Women In The Room: The Bear Mountain Compact

A new series from WFUV’s Prickly Politics podcast investigates 20 years’ worth of sexual misconduct allegations against elected and appointed officials and how some of Albany’s power brokers have worked to silence those who came forward.

How did Albany's past lead to a culture of sexual harassment? For decades, the old unspoken agreement among lawmakers in New York's capital was known as the "Bear Mountain Compact" - what happens in Albany stays in Albany. Hosts Kacie Candela and Andrew Seger explore this history in depth, speaking with current and former lawmakers, and a former intern about her own experience in the 1980s.

Women in the Room is a new series from WFUV's Prickly Politics podcast investigating the history of sexual harassment in and around the New York State Capitol. WFUV reporters Kacie Candela and Andrew Seger have spent months investigating 20 years’ worth of sexual misconduct allegations against elected and appointed officials. They uncover how, in some cases, the Legislature's reputation has been prioritized at the expense of those who came forward. The podcast will feature stories from survivors and previously undisclosed recordings, highlight new attempts at reform, and explore how the Legislature and ethics bodies have struggled to put justice before politics.

A transcript of this episode is available here.