Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., stepped down as the ranking Democratic member of the House Judiciary Committee on Sunday, following sexual harassment accusations.
The 27-term congressman said he denied the allegations, but was stepping down because of the ongoing House Ethics Committee investigation.
“I deny these allegations, many of which were raised by documents reportedly paid for by a partisan alt-right blogger. I very much look forward to vindicating myself and my family before the House Committee on Ethics,” Conyers said in a statement.
Michigan’s Democratic Rep. John Conyers denied a report that he settled a sexual harassment claim filed against him by a former female staff member, The Associated Press reported. The longtime congressman added that he first heard about the allegations on Tuesday from a BuzzFeed News article. Original story:
Former staff members accused Conyers, 88, of making repeated sexual advances on female staff, according to affidavits included in the complaint. The former staffer who felt “basically blackballed” with nowhere to turn. is accusing the high-ranking, longest serving member of Congress of firing her because she declined his sexual advance. Once filed, her complaint entered a lengthy process that required a confidentiality agreement. Ultimately, Conyers’ office paid the settlement from his congressional budget, silence the woman.
The process made the former staffer feel “basically blackballed” and having no way to complain out of fear of retribution, she said. Congressional workers have no human resources department to file grievances. The process gives them 180 days to report a sexual harassment incident to the Office of Compliance, which triggers a process that includes counseling and mediation, along with the confidentiality agreement. The government has paid more than $17 million over the last 20 years to resolve workplace complaints filed by congressional staff, including claims of sexual harassment and other violations.
About Post Author
