THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT WAS RELEASED TO HEARTLAND INSTITUTE SUPPORTERS AND HUFFPOST ON DECEMBER 20, 2017:
We understand HuffPost may be writing an article based on a disgruntled former employee’s false allegations that The Heartland Institute has tolerated sexual harassment in the past. The accusation is completely false. Heartland always has had policies and procedures in place to ensure a professional and safe environment for its employees. Heartland’s policies allow us to remove problem employees quickly – and certainly faster than HuffPost.
About a third of Heartland’s 40 full-time staff are African-American, half are female, and three department leaders are African-American women. We doubt that any other think tank in America, regardless of its political leanings, has a more diverse staff.
The Heartland Institute is being targeted because our mission is fighting for a smaller, less-intrusive government and advancing free markets and greater individual liberty. Our opponents in this debate cannot win on the merits of their arguments, so they stoop to circulate lies about our dedicated staff. Shame on them, and no, we will not stop until freedom is rising again.
Joseph Bast is a Senior Fellow at The Heartland Institute. He cofounded Heartland in 1984, serving as executive director then as president & CEO until January 2018. His research and writing focuses on climate change and energy policy.
