Mark Meadows will be investigated by the House ethics committee for paying his chief of staff, Kenny West, full salary for ten months after West was barred from both the district office and the DC office for sexually harassing the female staff.
The situation had gotten so bad that female new hires were warned about what not to wear when West was expected in the office. At one point West made one staffer cry. After he had been barred from the district office, he tried to enter, but was blocked by a female staffer who threatened to call the police.
Meadows broke the House rules by paying West after West had been relieved of duties. At first, Meadows spokesperson tried to say that it was vacation pay, then flip-flopped to severance pay. Neither are allowed under House rules with tax dollars.
Several questions arise. Why was West hired in the first place? He was a primary opponent of Meadows in 2012 that gained only a sliver of the vote. West has no legislative or hill experience. It has now come to light that Meadows was warned of West’s behavior before he was hired.
Why was this allowed to go on for so long? West has been Meadows’ COS since Meadows took office in 2013 and was not dismissed until October of 2015.
Why has West received so much compensation? Meadows paid off West’s campaign debt in 2012, gave him the COS position, didn’t require West to take up a Washington residence, and paid him $155,000 dollars after he was relieved of duties.
What does West have on Meadows?
Rick Bryson for Congress press conference and Q&A.
