Just after Pelosi indicated the allegations warranted an investigation.
Just hours after sexual misconduct allegations surfaced against Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), the House Ethics Committee announced that it began investigating the matter.
“The Committee… has begun an investigation and will gather additional information regarding these allegations, the ranking member and chair said on Tuesday. In a press release, the two said they were aware of the allegations, but warned that merely beginning an investigation did not indicate Conyers engaged in any kind of violation.
The Committee’s announcement followed allegations that Conyers sexually harassed multiple women and even fired one of his staffers after she refused to go along with his sexual advances. BuzzFeed reported on Tuesday that the fired staffer settled her claim with Conyers in 2015, something Conyers later acknowledged.
Following those allegations, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) suggested an investigation was necessary. “As I have said before, any credible allegation of sexual harassment must be investigated by the Ethics Committee,” she said .
Although Conyers “vehemently” denied many of the sexual misconduct allegations, he acknowledged that he reached a settlement with his former staffer.
“In this case, I expressly and vehemently denied the allegations made against me, and continue to do so,” he said, according to the Associated Press .
