The Washington Free Beacon reported this afternoon of an incident at the USDA where a now retired USDA employee had a promotion withheld due to the pre-existing condition of a child. Allegations included that Espy called the daughter of an employee a “disabled thing” and an “insurance burden”.
Espy has made his policy position on pre-existing conditions front and center in his US Senate campaign.
The facts of the denial involve James Patterson who was seeking a promotion to the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), then a division of the USDA.
Espy to Harkin August 1994 by yallpolitics on Scribd
From the Free Beacon report
Patterson recalled Espy referring to his daughter as a “disabled thing” and an “insurance burden” during the discrimination spat, labels that left a lasting impression on him regarding Espy. Patterson’s daughter died in 2006 at the age of 17, and he has used her story to highlight the importance of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Patterson said he was shocked when he saw Espy back in the news as a candidate for Senate in Mississippi.
“When I saw Espy running for senator of Mississippi, I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “I though he was yesterday’s scandal.”
