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Warren on Bloomberg: 'How many other women are out there?'

The Massachusetts Democrat, who has made an issue of the ex-mayor's non-disclosure agreements, spoke to NBC News.
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LAS VEGAS — Elizabeth Warren said Friday night that Michael Bloomberg's decision to release three women from non-disclosure agreements with his company is not enough and she asked "how many other women are out there?"

"If there truly are only three women, then why won't he sign a general release? Think through that," Warren told NBC News in a phone interview. "Bloomberg and his company should issue a blanket waiver so anyone who wants to come forward can come forward — with or without Michael Bloomberg's prior permission."

"We're still left wondering: How many other women are out there that Michael Bloomberg hasn't given permission to?" she added, keeping up an attack she first made on the rival presidential candidate at the debate on Wednesday here.

Warren said the three women will have to make their own decision about coming forward.

"They should feel free to speak up once they have gotten a release in writing from the company, but it shouldn't take that," she said.

Bloomberg said earlier Friday that his massive financial data and media company looked back through more than three decades of records for non-disclosure agreements with employees who alleged Bloomberg made inappropriate comments and that three NDAs were found.

Under pressure from Warren and other presidential candidates like Joe Biden, Bloomberg released those three women from agreements, saying that if they contacted the company he would agree to let them speak publicly about their experiences if they want to.

"If any of them want to be released from their NDA so that they can talk about those allegations, they should contact the company and they'll be given a release," Bloomberg said in a statement. "I've done a lot of reflecting on this issue over the past few days, and I've decided that for as long as I'm running the company, we won't offer confidentiality agreements to resolve claims of sexual harassment or misconduct going forward."

But Warren has said she is not satisfied with that outcome, telling reporters earlier Friday, "Bloomberg needs to do a blanket release, so that all women who have been muzzled by NDAs can step up and tell their side of the story."

Kevin Sheekey, Bloomberg’s top political adviser, responded on Twitter by suggesting Warren's doubts were baseless accusations with no evidence to support them.

"To be clear: 3 is the total number of NDAs that have been IDed over thirty+ years pertaining directly to Mike," he said.