California GOP Assembly ousts leader over Akin-esque comments

Celeste Greig said that rape rarely leads to pregnancy "because the body is traumatized"

Published May 7, 2013 1:17PM (EDT)

Celeste Greig, president of the California Republican Assembly  (AP/Rich Pedroncelli)
Celeste Greig, president of the California Republican Assembly (AP/Rich Pedroncelli)

The California Republican Assembly has ousted its president over comments she made back in March, similar to Todd Akin's "legitimate rape" remark, that rape rarely leads to pregnancy "because the body is traumatized."

“Granted, the percentage of pregnancies due to rape is small because it’s an act of violence, because the body is traumatized. I don’t know what percentage of pregnancies are due to the violence of rape. Because of the trauma the body goes through,” Celeste Greig told the Bay Area News Group in March.

From the San Jose Mercury News:

The CRA, which Ronald Reagan once called the "conscience of the Republican Party," ousted Greig as president last weekend in an 84-78 vote at its convention, replacing her with John Briscoe, a 63-year-old accountant from Fountain Valley.

Briscoe's campaign manager, Aaron Park, a conservative blogger from the Sacramento area, said Greig's comment that pregnancy by rape is rare "because the body is traumatized" was "embarrassing" and led to a collapse of her support among CRA members. He added that her failure to address the blowback compounded the problem.

 


By Jillian Rayfield

Jillian Rayfield is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on politics. Follow her on Twitter at @jillrayfield or email her at jrayfield@salon.com.

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California Celeste Greig Rape Republicans Todd Akin