Delaware County Rep Pat Meehan Settled Misconduct Complaint: NYT

SPRINGFIELD, PA — After a report that Delaware County U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan used taxpayer dollars to settle a misconduct complaint against him, GOP House Speaker Paul Ryan has urged Meehan to repay the money and called for an Ethics Committee investigation. The New York Times reported on Saturday that Meehan, a 62-year-old Republican and married father of three with an office in Springfield, used thousands of dollars from his congressional office fund to settle a sexual harassment complaint filed last summer by a former aide who was decades younger than Meehan.

The Times, who did not name the accuser and said she did not speak to them, reported the woman entered into a serious relationship with someone outside the office last year, and that Meehan expressed his romantic interest for her in person and in a letter. Sources told the Times he became hostile when she did not reciprocate. When working in the office became "untenable," she started the complaint process, began working from home and eventually left the job altogether, the Times said.

In a statement, congressman Ryan's spokeswoman said the allegations have to be fully investigated by the House Ethics Committee. Meehan will immediately submit himself to that review, she said, and he will be removed from his position on that committee. Meehan was on a panel that recently investigated sexual misconduct accusations against at least four lawmakers: Republican Trent Franks of Arizona, Democrat John Conyers Jr. of Michigan, Republican Blake Farenthold of Texas and Democrat Ruben Kihuen of Nevada.

Meehan's office denied that he sexually harassed or mistreated the former aide and said he had asked congressional lawyers to ask the former aide's lawyer to dissolve the settlement's confidentiality requirements "to ensure a full and open airing of all the facts."

Alexis Ronickher, a lawyer for the former aide, said the accusations were "well-grounded" and rejected the the idea of eliminating the confidentiality requirements. Meehan is trying to victimize her client twice by revealing the woman's identity and litigating the case in the media, Ronickher said.

"Mr. Meehan demanded confidentiality to resolve the matter, presumably so that the public would never know that he entered into a settlement of a serious sexual harassment claim," Ronickher said.

Meehan's office did not respond to Associated Press questions about whether he used taxpayer money to settle the case or whether he would submit to the Ethics Committee investigation. His office did say Meehan would only act with advice of House lawyers and in line with House Ethics Committee guidance to resolve any allegation.

"Every step of the process was handled ethically and appropriately," Meehan's office said.

Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf called for Meehan to resign and said the House should investigate "how this matter was handled from top to bottom."

Click here to read the full New York Times article.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images