Update: 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."
Meanwhile, Paul Ryan - who Cernovich blamed for enabling Conyers' settlement - called the settlement “extremely troubling” and vowed to continue reviewing House policy on sexual harassment in the workplace.
“People who work in the House deserve and are entitled to a workplace without harassment or discrimination,” Ryan said, outlining the recent steps the House has made to combat sexual misconduct in Congress.
As Talking Points Memo pointed out, last month the Committee on House Administration reviewed its procedures related to workplace harassment and discrimination, and last week that committee issued a new policy requiring “mandatory training for all members and staff,” he said.
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Last week, we reported how Congress’s Office of Compliance paid out $17 million for 264 settlements with federal employees over 20 years for various violations, including sexual harassment – information that was brought to light by California Rep. Jackie Speiers, who claimed that two men with a history of sexual harassment continued to serve in the House – one of whom was a Republican and one a Democrat.
Now, thanks to Buzzfeed News, the mystery Democrat has been identified as Michigan Rep. John Conyers, the ranking member on the powerful House Judiciary Committee and the longest-serving member of the House of Representatives. In 2014, a former Conyers staffer filed a complaint claiming she was fired for refusing his sexual advances, and that she had been subsequently blackballed from working with Congress.
The woman received a $30,000 settlement, which was paid out of Conyers’s taxpayer-funded office budget.
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.
Congress has no human resources department. Instead, congressional employees have 180 days to report a sexual harassment incident to the Office of Compliance, which then leads to a lengthy process that involves counseling and mediation, and requires the signing of a confidentiality agreement before a complaint can go forward.
After this an employee can choose to take the matter to federal district court, but another avenue is available: an administrative hearing, after which a negotiation and settlement may follow.
A law clerk who represented the woman, who was not named by Buzzfeed and has never come forward with her story, said the settlement process was like “being abused twice” for the poor woman. In the settlement papers, other staffers in Conyers’ office discuss acting as couriers who transported women with who Conyers was allegedly having affairs.
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."
Other lawyers named as representing the accuser could not be reached for comment. The Office of Compliance did not confirm or deny that it had dealt with the case.
The documents were first provided to BuzzFeed News by Mike Cernovich, who said he gave the documents to BuzzFeed News for vetting and further reporting, and because he said if he published them himself, Democrats and congressional leaders would “try to discredit the story by attacking the messenger.” He provided them without conditions. BuzzFeed News independently confirmed the authenticity of the documents with four people directly involved with the case, including the accuser.
In a series of tweets published last night, Cernovich explained why he leaked the story to Buzzfeed, and also blamed House Speaker Paul Ryan for covering up Conyers’ harassment.
Congressman John Conyers is a sexual predator, and Paul Ryan covered it all up https://t.co/rHAzX4Hevo
— Mike Cernovich ???????? (@Cernovich) November 21, 2017
Twitter manually removed John Conyers name, which had 50K tweets (way more than other trends), from the trending section! They are literally covering up for a rapist.
— Mike Cernovich ???????? (@Cernovich) November 21, 2017
In her wrongful dismissal 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.
As Buzzfeed pointed out, Congress has no human resources department. Instead, congressional employees have 180 days to report a sexual harassment incident to the Office of Compliance, which then leads to a lengthy process that involves counseling and mediation, and requires the signing of a confidentiality agreement before a complaint can go forward. After this, the complainant can choose to either pursue the matter in federal district court or seek a settlement through an administrative hearing.
In the complaint, which is available in full below, the woman alleges that Conyers sexually harassed her by asking her to touch his penis, or find another woman who would meet his sexual demands. Conyers also made her work nights, weekends and holidays on occasion to “keep him company.”
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. She alleged Conyers made her work nights, evenings, and holidays to keep him company.
In another incident, the former employee alleged the congressman insisted she stay in his room while they traveled together for a fundraising event. When she told him that she would not stay with him, she alleged he told her to “just cuddle up with me and caress me before you go.”
“Rep. Conyers strongly postulated that the performing of personal service or favors would be looked upon favorably and lead to salary increases or promotions,” the former employee said in the documents.
Three other staff members provided affidavits submitted to the Office Of Compliance that outlined a pattern of behavior from Conyers that included touching the woman in a sexual manner and growing angry when she brought her husband around.
One affidavit from a former female employee states that she was tasked with flying in women for the congressman. “One of my duties while working for Rep. Conyers 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,” said her affidavit. (A second staffer alleged in an interview that Conyers used taxpayer resources to fly women to him.)
One male employee who corroborated the victim’s claims in an affidavit said he witnessed Conyers touch his staffers in an inappropriate, sexual manner. The women in his office said it was widely known that Conyers had sexual relationships with his staff, something the women felt undermined their credibility.
The employee said in her affidavit that Conyers also made sexual advances toward her: “I was driving the Congressman in my personal car and was resting my hand on the stick shift. Rep. Conyers reached over and began to caress my hand in a sexual manner.”
The woman said she told Conyers she was married and not interested in pursuing a sexual relationship, according to the affidavit. She said she was told many times by constituents that it was well-known that Conyers had sexual relationships with his staff, and said she and other female staffers felt this undermined their credibility.
“I am personally aware of several women who have experienced the same or similar sexual advances made towards them by Rep[.] John Conyers,” she said in her affidavit.
A male employee wrote that he witnessed Rep. Conyers rub the legs and other body parts of the complainant “in what appeared to be a sexual manner” and saw the congressman rub and touch other women “in an inappropriate manner.” The employee said he confronted Conyers about this behavior.
“Rep. Conyers said he needed to be ‘more careful’ because bad publicity would not be helpful as he runs for re-election. He ended the conversation with me by saying he would ‘work on’ his behavior,” the male staffer said in his affidavit.
One reason Conyers’ staffers tolerated his behavior, as Buzzfeed points out, was the Congressman’s status as a civil rights icon, something his staffers believed insulated him from criticism. He is also incredibly popular among his constituents in Detroir.
Conyers is a civil rights icon. He was lauded by Martin Luther King Jr. and is a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
“Your story won’t do shit to him,” said the staffer. “He’s untouchable.”
Representatives for Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and former Speaker John Boehner said both lawmakers were unaware of the settlements because of the confidentiality agreements. Paul Ryan’s office didn’t return Buzzfeed’s request for comment.
To help rectify Congress’s broken system, Rep. Speiers has introduced legislation to overhaul the complaint process, including requiring the Office of Compliance to publicly name the office of any member who enters into a settlement. The bill would also allow complainants to waive mediation and counseling, set up a victims' counsel, and require all congressional offices to go through harassment training every year.
In the meantime, we imagine this won’t be the last bombshell disclosure implicating a high-ranking member of Congress. Indeed, if recent trends are any guide, it’s only a matter of time, we believe, before the Republican whom Speiers alluded to is unmasked.
Read the complaint in its entirety below:
2017.11.21buzzfeed by zerohedge on Scribd
I'm so sick of all this sexual harrassment news. It's a distraction from what's really going on in the world.
I say we let them run. I personally enjoy the noise of the leftists feeding on their own.
Niggers gonna nig. Whoda thought?
WOMEN DRAIN THE SWAMP...YES!
"It's A Designed Cover-Up" - Powerful Democratic Congressman John Conyers Sexually Harassed Staffers
My response: More ''OBOZO'' ROTTEN FRUIT.
These people get away with this in your face tyrannical lawlessnes because WE THE PEOPLE let them get away with it. The fact that this kind of CORRUPT, VILE, EVIL behavior is happening is simply a reflection of the values of America at large. In this case, the MARXIST PROGRESSIVE LIBERALs and RINOs are at the heart of the CRAP.
Truly SAD that the real face of America is now on display for the world to see. These kind of news events really hurt the republic and undermine America's sovereignty.
We need a WHITE NIGHT to right the SHIP. The DOJ has proven in many instances to be as corrupt as the people that commit the crimes.
We are the white nights.
We are the people.
It's up to us.
Where is Gloria Allred? Here she could stand up for women, yet she does not. Gloria Allred is a democrat.
buzzfeed was used masterfully as a tool by Mike.
he leveraged his information by knowing buzzfeed could not resist the scoop and could not supress the story while simultaneously short circuiting the "fake news" meme by stooging one of their own.
masterful Mike
i don't see the sex harassment as such a big deal in and of itself but it does show that the holy talk from all of these fake puritans is just a veneer over their black souls and true characters.
everything does not have to be about sex offenses but on the other hand we big kids can handle more than one story at a time so keep this devolution of power going on all fronts.
destroy the republicrats!
"We boned some folks."
I agree.
It does get tiring doesn't it? Why don't we just assume that all people have transgressions in their past. Then we can keep things in perspective. Let him who is without sin cast the first aspersion.
It's not about sex or other "transgression."
It's abuse of power; abuse of trust.
And then the cover up.
And then the shaming of the victim.
I can deal the truth.
Not his fault, he was trying t o emulate Dr. King
Damn, not the house nigger too........ Even looks like Samuel L in "Django Unchained".....
Since when is this kind of behaviour a uniquely black thing?
Comatose Conyers???
HAHAHAHAHA.
Sloth sex?
One thing is becoming apparent - at least some Congressmen seem to feel that their penis is so amazing that women will feel priviledged if they receive an offer to touch it.
Conyers, the longest standing member in the House of Representatives.
Reporter: I hear it's been long, John, what do you say? You got more standing than the other Reps?
Rep. Conyers: It's long, real long. I can show you just how long. You have no idea just how long and hard it has been here. For me.
Release the Bannon!
Dat nigga din do nuffin!!!!
Another career politician who couldn't keep his dick in his pants. The value of their own self obsessed impulses are greater than the value of the people they violated, which is typical of the cesspool tribe! Who would have guessed that Washington is full of perverts???
Resign now you POS.
A) his constituents don't care
B) his constituents didn't pay for the settlements - we did.
Conyers should PAY BACK the taxpayers.
.
Want to see the Mecca & Center of Pedophilia, Child, human trafficking, sexual abuse & perversion?
Walk the halls of these Pure Evil War Criminal Treasonous Seditious Psychopaths in CONgress.
Pure Flith.
All the Hollyweird sex abuse scandals breaking daily is low information, low hanging fruit to distract.
What these Pure Vile Evil Psychopaths wont reveal are themselves in Congress.
Touching the "Untouchables"
Someone getting a payout would imply guilt of the offending Congressmen! Drain the Swamp!
Time's man of the year will be a penis.
I need some sort of Org chart or flow chart. I can't keep up.
And another one bites the dust. Oh, the humanity!
Isn't this similar to what the Catholic Church did/does.
I think the funding has largely dried up as many stopped giving with all the altar boy settlements. Although the shakedown for the annulment racket is still in full swing.
Forget drain the swamp, it should read exterminate the swamp!
This is a fine opportunity to do a little swamp draining.
Watching the libs eat their own like a school of starving piranhas is mildly amusing.
Interesting watching libtards get swallowed up by their own liberal ideologies and practices. But soon there will only be women on TV news/shows and in Congress and only female super-heroes in Holly-weird movies.
the "Golden Pussy" is in the works starring Nicole Kidman. Unfortunately, you can't touch it and the price declines in a market oversaturated with buyers.
Yet men will still be blamed for everything.
White Men already are blamed for everything.
Human Resources Dept??? We don't have no stinking Human Resources Dept. here, sweetie. This is Congress! Now, how much do you like your job??? On your knees, whore! Now, TOUCH IT!!! (or find someone else to touch it. Or, you're fired!)
Human Resources doesn't work because it reports to the person you're reporting.
Yikes! I'd hate to work where you work. Where I worked, HR was an entirely separate entity. They only answered to the VPs.
Exactly. It's like telling the SS you have concerns about Hitler's policies and procedures.
I don't like that we are referred to as a resource to the employer. A simple commodity, like a slave
Twitter censoring is the most disturbing part of story...
This shit is getting weird. It's definitely nothing new but I think it is due time o start hanging CONgress Critters. A couple Iranian style hangings would send the perfect message.
One reason Conyers’ staffers tolerated his behavior, as Buzzfeed points out, was the Congressman’s status as a civil rights icon, something his staffers believed insulated him from criticism.
Like Mark Twain said, "Give a man a reputation as an early riser and he can sleep 'til noon."
Give a new meaning to 'Congress'
Pay it back you diplorable degenerate!
This will turn against the right too...