Rep. John Conyers
Detroit's legendary Congressman John Conyers is the latest public figure to get outed for sexual harassment.
This week's disclosure from BuzzFeed brings a Detroit Free Press editorial saying he should resign:.
The revelations of Conyers’ alleged sexual harassment scandal and his documented use of taxpayer dollars to bury that scandal, in violation of congressional ethics rules, is less ambiguous.
It is the kind of behavior that can never be tolerated in a public official, much less an elected representative of the people.
And it means that whatever Conyers’ legacy will eventually be, his tenure as a member of Congress must end — now.
He should resign his position and allow the investigation into his behavior to unfold without the threat that it would render him, and the people he now represents, effectively voiceless.
The paper's editorial page editor, Stephen Henderson, shares person observations Wednesday morning on Facebook:
I’m still scratching my head, trying to figure out how on earth anyone believed it would be OK for John Conyers Jr. to give a sexual harassment accuser a no-show job, financed with public money, in exchange for her withdrawing her formal congressional complaint against him.
No joy at all in publishing this editorial. One of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make, given the deep respect I have for Conyers’ many accomplishments. But not much choice on this one.
On Monday night, BuzzFeed reported that a former Conyers' staffer settled a wrongful dismissal complaint in 2015. She alleged Conyers fired her because she refused to acquiesce to his sexual advances. Conyers admitted Tuesday that he had reached the settlement after first denying it. He denied the allegations of sexual harassment.
BuzzFeed reported:
Documents from the complaint obtained by BuzzFeed News include four signed affidavits, three of which are notarized, from former staff members who allege that Conyers, the ranking Democrat on the powerful House Judiciary Committee, repeatedly made sexual advances to female staff that included requests for sexual favors, contacting and transporting other women with whom they believed Conyers was having affairs, caressing their hands sexually, and rubbing their legs and backs in public.
Four people involved with the case verified the documents are authentic. The woman who settled with Conyers ended up entering into a confidential agreement in exchange for a $27,111 settlement. Her payment came from Conyers’ office budget rather than the designated fund for congressional settlements, Paul McLeod and Lissandra Villa write.
Conyers admitted Tuesday that he had reached the settlement after first denying it. But he denied the allegations of sexual harassment.
