Rep. John Conyers Resigns Amid Sexual Harassment Allegations
Representative John Conyers, a Democrat from Michigan, resigned from Congress in December 2017 amid allegations of sexual harassment and the use of taxpayer funds to settle a harassment lawsuit brought by a former staffer. The allegations, which were first reported by BuzzFeed News, prompted calls for Conyers to step down from his colleagues in the House of Representatives and sparked a wider conversation about sexual harassment and misconduct in Congress.
The allegations against Conyers first came to light in November 2017, when BuzzFeed News reported that the Michigan representative had settled a wrongful dismissal complaint in 2015 with a former staffer who had accused him of sexual harassment. The settlement, which was reached with the help of the Office of Compliance, was reportedly for $27,000 and was paid out of Conyers’ office budget.
Conyers, who had served in Congress for over 50 years and was the longest-serving member of the House of Representatives at the time, initially denied the allegations and refused to step down. However, pressure from his colleagues, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, as well as mounting calls from the public for his resignation, ultimately led Conyers to step down.
