ABC News hit for suggesting Katie Hill scandal could hurt future female, LGBTQ candidates

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Katie Hill blames her resignation on Republicans and the 'double standard'

FOX Nation host Tammy Bruce says Rep. Katie Hill has to take responsibility for her own actions.

ABC News was criticized on Thursday for suggesting that the scandal involving Rep. Katie Hill, D-Calif., could have a negative impact on future female and "LGBTQ" candidates for office.

Hill, who is openly bisexual, made her resignation official on Friday after she was accused of having multiple inappropriate relationships with subordinates including her legislative director, which triggered a House ethics probe.

However, ABC News reported on Thursday that advocates are "raising concerns" that Hill's scandals will prevent other women and members of the LGBTQ community from being elected. Elliot Imse, the communications director at the pro-LGBTQ leadership group Victory Institute, said that the fallout from Hill "will give further pause to up and coming LGBTQ and women leaders."

WASHINGTON POST HIT FOR ASKING IF KATIE HILL SAGA WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO A MAN

"Many young people considering running for office are going to be hesitant to take this leap if these types of attacks are normalized," Imse told ABC News.

Kelly Dittmar, who is a scholar at Rutgers University's Center for American Women and Politics expressed similar concerns, told the network: "Unfortunately, the experience that Katie Hill is having in terms of harassment and sort of abuse in a sexualized nature is not entirely new to women running for office."

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Dittmar did express optimism that it would not deter female candidates in the future and acknowledged that Hill had "genuine ethical questions around her behavior."

"You can take these moments and say, 'Oh my God I never want to be part of it; I'm gonna leave the institution,' or you can take these moments and say, 'How do we change the institutions for the better?'" she explained. "Instead of saying, 'Well men haven't lost their positions because of this type of behavior,' if we're really committed to creating a better institution, you say, 'Well men and women should be equally held to this higher standard.'"

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The report was slammed on social media for downplaying that Hill was being investigated for violating congressional rules, with one critic calling it "actively homophobic."

"The insinuation here is that gay people won’t be able to not sleep with subordinates. Trash. Pure trash," conservative strategist Chris Barron reacted.

Chad Felix Greene, a contributor to The Federalist who is gay, tweeted that Hill's resignation means "[t]hat we are expected to follow the same rules as everyone else."

Jim Teacher of PJ Media joked that Hill's resignation meant that Hill's departure from the House meant that women and LGBTQ candidates will  "have to be a lot more discreet about banging their employees."