Ethics committee sanctions Marciano for bar fight

Parliamentary aide who was allegedly sexually harassed by Labor MK not planing to file complaint with police.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
MarcianoYoram 224 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski [file])
MarcianoYoram 224
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski [file])
MK Yoram Marciano (Labor) has been banned from participating in Knesset debates and committee meetings for the rest of the legislature's winter session, the Ethics Committee decided on Monday night. The sanctions will be in effect until the legislature starts its spring recess on March 21. The sanctions came after Marciano asked the Ethics panel to examine a February 28 incident at Herzliya's Rio nightclub in which Marciano allegedly fought with security guards and inappropriately kissed a parliamentary aide. Marciano has said the issue was been "misrepresented" by the media, but that he would accept the determination of the Ethics panel. Committee Chairman Avshalom Vilan (Meretz) said in a statement that Marciano acted "inappropriately" and merited punishment. On Wednesday, the parliamentary aide who was allegedly sexually harassed by Marciano said that she did not plan to file a complaint with police. In an interview with Army Radio, "A." said that after seeing what happened in the case of former justice minister Haim Ramon and his accuser, "H.," she had no desire to undergo a similar ordeal. "I think the publicity is a punishment in itself," she said. "MK Marciano is a publicly elected official, and therefore he needs to be judged by the public and not within the walls of a courtroom."