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Rep. John Conyers, the Democrat who’s the longest-serving member of Congress, is the latest powerful man revealed to be a sexual harasser. Documents detailing a settlement Conyers reached with a former member of his staff who alleged she was fired for rejecting his sexual advances were leaked to Buzzfeed, and the details are bad. Conyers’ career should be over as a result of these revelations.
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. [...]
In her complaint, the former employee said Conyers repeatedly asked her for sexual favors and often asked her to join him in a hotel room. On one occasion, she alleges that Conyers asked her to work out of his room for the evening, but when she arrived the congressman started talking about his sexual desires. She alleged he then told her she needed to “touch it,” in reference to his penis, or find him a woman who would meet his sexual demands.
In one of the affidavits, a male staffer says he confronted Conyers about his behavior, with no success.
The case is also a reminder of Congress’ terrible system for handling harassment allegations, a system designed to protect abusers.
Tuesday, Nov 21, 2017 · 3:47:17 PM +00:00 · Barbara Morrill
Well, this is … unexpected:
Longtime Michigan Rep. John Conyers has told The Associated Press that he hasn’t settled any sexual harassment complaints with any staff members.
Conyers, who answered the door at his Detroit home Tuesday morning, says he knows nothing about any claims of inappropriate touching and learned of the story just hours earlier.
Referring to allegations of sexual harassment and assault being made against politicians and others, the veteran lawmaker says he’s “been looking at these things with amazement.”
It’s not possible to just file a lawsuit if a member of Congress or staffer harasses you. First, you’re forced to go through a lengthy counseling and mediation process, which drags things out, raises the barriers to reporting, and conveys the message that your complaint is very unwelcome. In this case:
The woman who settled with Conyers launched the complaint with the Office of Compliance in 2014, alleging she was fired for refusing his sexual advances, and ended up facing a daunting process that ended with a confidentiality agreement in exchange for a settlement of more than $27,000. Her settlement, however, came from Conyers’ office budget rather than the designated fund for settlements. [...]
The process was “disgusting,” said Matthew Peterson, who worked as a law clerk representing the complainant, and who listed as a signatory to some of the documents.
“It is a designed cover-up,” said Peterson, who declined to discuss details of the case but agreed to characterize it in general terms. “You feel like they were betrayed by their government just for coming forward. It’s like being abused twice.”
No doubt there are many more appalling cases of harassment by members of Congress and their staff lurking in secret files—and no doubt Republicans are busy leaking them, as in this case, where pizzagater Mike Cernovich provided the files to Buzzfeed. Conyers absolutely has to go, but we have to worry about a future in which Republicans will leak these details and Democrats will respond appropriately while Republican harassers and molesters get protected by their party.