It's the picture that's taking Twitter by storm: U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley stands beside celebrity, entrepreneur and, let's never forget, one-time farmer Paris Hilton.
Driving the news: In true Grassley fashion, his tweet on Tuesday recounting the meeting was short, abbreviated and straight to the point:
- "Met w Paris Hilton to discuss how we can stop abuse of children in residential care facilities," the Iowa senator wrote.
State of play: A spokesperson for Grassley's office sent a statement to Axios, saying he met with Hilton to chat about legislative efforts to stop abuse at facilities that care for kids and teens, like sleep-away camps.
- "The meeting was genial and went well, concluding with their Twitter picture," the statement reads.
- Hilton posted on social media that she met with senators, representatives and staff at the Capitol and in the White House about the efforts Tuesday.
Between the lines: Grassley helped introduce a bill last month that gives more protections to child abuse victims.
The big picture: Hilton released a documentary, "This is Paris," in 2020, where she talked about the abuse she faced when she was sent to a boarding school for "troubled teens."
- She's been lobbying lawmakers to create legislation that would guarantee children in these type of facilities a "bill of rights," including the right to call their parents, freedom from restraints and access to food and water.
In an op-ed for the Washington Post, Hilton said the "troubled-teen industry" generates $50 billion annually through their "tough love" programs like boot camps and boarding schools.
- However, she said there's little regulation, which allows abuse to run rampant.
The bottom line: Hilton is the queen of garnering attention as the original influencer of our time.
- And in her true fashion — this photo has us all talking.
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