MD Sen. Cheryl Kagan Claims She Was Sexually Assaulted by Lobbyist, Video Shows He Hugged Her

The video shows lobbyist Gil Genn approaching Sen. Cheryl Kagan (D-Montgomery) near a crowded bar at Castlebay Irish Pub, putting his hand on Kagan’s back and moving it around.

The physical contact is brief, and it is hard to tell exactly when Genn — who previously denied touching Kagan at all — removes his hand.

At a hastily called news conference, Kagan held up her laptop to play the 86-second video, saying it showed how Genn put his hand on her back and slid “it down my body.”

“Most women who are harassed or sexually assaulted will not have access to such undeniable proof,” she said in an interview.

Genn, meanwhile, demanded an apology from Kagan, saying in a statement that the video shows “beyond dispute that I did not grab or grope her.”

“There are four-second frames which show Gil Genn put his hand around her waist while talking to her,” said Genn’s attorney, Tim Maloney. “He does not ‘run his hands down her back’ or ‘touch her tush’ at all — as Senator Kagan claimed.”

It is not clear from the video whether Kagan reacted to the contact with Genn in a negative way, which she has said in interviews that she did. She appears to pull back and avoid eye contact for a few seconds, then continues talking to Genn.

“She does not turn away or otherwise avoid him — as she claimed — but goes on to have a friendly and animated conversation for another 1 minute 21 seconds in which she laughs, gives him a thumbs up and appears engaged,” Maloney said.