Politics
Conyers Acknowledges Sexual Harassment Settlement But Denies Allegations
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Democratic Rep. John Conyer of Michigan issued a statement Monday afternoon to concede that he reached a monetary settlement with a former staffer who accused him of sexual harassment but maintained the underlying allegations were false.
Conyer, who is the longest serving member of Congress, said he accepted the settlement in order to avoid litigation but “vehemently” denied that he ever touched female staffers inappropriately.
“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. “There are statutory requirements of confidentiality that apply to both the employee and me regarding this matter.”
Conyer’s acknowledgement of the settlement contradicts a Tuesday morning Associated Press report, which indicated he denied ever having reached a sexual harassment settlement with a former staffer.
“The Associated Press made an unannounced visit to the home of Congressman Conyers this morning. Congressman Conyers was under the impression the reporter was speaking of recent allegations of which he was unaware of and denied,” the statement says.
The 88-year-old lawmaker allegedly reached a $27,000 settlement with an unnamed female former staffer, according to a Monday night BuzzFeed News report, which also included four affidavits signed by former staff members, who claim they witnessed Conyers touching female staffers inappropriately or requesting sexual favors.
The report indicates the settlement occurred in 2015 and included a confidentiality agreement that precluded the accuser from taking the allegations public. The monetary settlement was reportedly paid out of Conyers’s office budget rather than the congressional settlement fund typically utilized to compensate victims of workplace harassment.
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