Michigan Rep. Conyers Admits Settlement, Denies Harassment

DETROIT, MI – Rep. John Conyers acknowledged Tuesday afternoon that, indeed, his office did settle a sexual harassment claim by a former employee, but denied that any harassment took place. His latest statement is in contrast to one earlier Tuesday, when he said he was not aware of the settlement.

Conyers' response comes after a stunning report by the online media outlet BuzzFeed, which detailed a sexual harassment claim by a former member of his staff and its settlement in 2015. The employee claimed she was fired for not succumbing to his sexual advances, according to BuzzFeed.

Conyers, in his statement, said he "expressly and vehemently" denies the allegations against him.

"My office resolved the allegations – with an express denial of liability – in order to save all involved from the rigors of protracted litigation," the statement reads. "That should not be lost in the narrative. The resolution was not for millions of dollars, but rather for an amount that equated to a reasonable severance payment."

Conyers is the longest serving member of the House of Representatives.

The woman filed her complaint in 2014 with the Office of Compliance, according to BuzzFeed. The article cites four affidavits included with the complaint that indicate Conyers made multiple advances toward female staff members.

Conyers' alleged victim, who was not identified in the BuzzFeed article, told the outlet she was "basically blackballed," and had no other choice but to sign settlement at the time, which included a confidentiality agreement that prohibited her from discussing the settlement or making disparaging comments about Conyers, his office or his staff members. Documents obtained by BuzzFeed showed that she received $27,111.75 over a three-month period.

The documents also include statements from other Conyers staff members, who said they saw the congressman touch female staffers inappropriately — rubbing their legs and backs — or request sexual favors. One former staffer said one of her duties was "to keep a list of women that I assumed he was having affairs with and call them at his request and, if necessary, have them flown in using Congressional resources.

Earlier Tuesday, when an Associated Press reporter came to his Detroit home, he told the reporter that he knew nothing of the claims of inappropriate touching and learned of the story just hours earlier.

In reference to allegations of sexual harassment and assault being made against politicians and others, the veteran lawmaker told the Associated Press he's "been looking at these things with amazement."

House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, weighed in on the BuzzFeed report, calling it "extremely troubling."

"People who work in the House deserve and are entitled to a workplace without harassment or discrimination," Ryan said.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, of California, said in a statement Tuesday that lawmakers must have "zero tolerance for harassment, discrimination, bullying or abuse." She said the House Ethics should investigate the matter.

Meantime, the BuzzFeed article also alleges a "secret mechanism by which Congress has kept an unknown number of sexual harassment allegations secret," including complaints levied against the nation's most powerful political figures. In this case, not only is Conyers the longest serving member in the House, he also belongs to the powerful House Judiciary Committee.

The BuzzFeed article noted that the documents came from right-wing activist Mike Cernovich. He provided the documents, which were independently verified by the news outlet, because he felt Democrats would “try to discredit the story by attacking the messenger” if he presented them, according to the article.

>>>> Read the full article by BuzzFeed

File photo by Alex Brandon, Associated Press