WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is rejecting the idea of revoking comedian Bill Cosby’s Presidential Medal of Freedom because of sexual misconduct allegations.
Obama says there’s no precedent or mechanism to take back the medal. He declined to talk about the specific allegations against Cosby because there are pending legal matters.
But at a presidential news conference Wednesday, Obama left no question about his position on the larger issue of rape. Obama says that drugging someone and having sex with them without consent qualifies as rape.
Court documents obtained by The Associated Press have revealed that Cosby admitted under oath that he obtained quaaludes to give to women with whom he wanted to have sex.
A sexual assault awareness group has petitioned the White House to revoke Cosby’s Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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