Missouri Gov.-elect Eric Greitens new hire faced sexual harassment allegations at Huffington Post

JEFFERSON CITY -- Gov.-elect Eric Greitens’ decision to hire a former Huffington Post editor who has faced sexual harassment accusations is drawing criticism from Missouri Democrats.

Jimmy Soni was managing editor of the liberal news website The Huffington Post from 2012 to 2014. Earlier this month the Greitens campaign paid him $11,000 to assist with hiring and communications. Austin Chambers, Greitens’ senior adviser, recently told The St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Soni will “play a role in the administration” after Greitens takes office Jan. 9.

The initial reason given for Soni stepping down as Huffington Post managing editor in 2014 was that he was going to oversee the launch of the website’s India edition in New Dehli. He later said it was because he was working on a book.

But a story published by the website Gawker at the time alleges the actual reason was that he was being investigated by the Huffington Post’s corporate parent AOL for sexual harassment involving interns. Five of Soni’s former Huffington Post colleagues interviewed by The Star this week confirmed the Gawker article and say Soni was pushed out of his job because of the sexual harassment investigation.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article123890399.html