Military sexual assault victims allege San Diego Mayor Bob Filner harassed them

Two more women have come forward to accuse San Diego mayor Bob Filner of sexual harassment, bringing the number to 13 and piling pressure on him to resign.

Eldonna Fernandez and Gerri Tindley said Filner posed as a champion of women in the military but abused his power and their trust by making unwanted sexual advances.

CNN on Wednesday played a voicemail message he left for Fernandez after an August 2012 meeting of the National Women’s Veterans Association of America (NWVAA): “Hi, it’s your newly favourite congressman, Bob Filner. You know, the one who fell in love with you at your last speech.” He invited her on a date. “I don’t want to wait ‘til you come back to have dinner with you.”

At the same event Tindley, who had spoken of being raped during her time in the army, said Filner made her feel “weird” by accosting her on a sofa when they were alone. “He got as close as he could to me. His jacket was touching my jacket. I was bent down. He was bent down with me, rubbing like he cared, like he was consoling me.” Tindley said she almost fell off the sofa trying to move away from him.