HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — House Speaker Paul Ryan called for an Ethics Committee investigation Saturday after the New York Times reported that U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan used taxpayer money to settle a complaint that stemmed from his hostility toward a former aide who rejected his romantic overtures.
The story, published online Saturday, cited unnamed people who said the Republican Pennsylvania representative used thousands of dollars from his congressional office fund to settle the sexual harassment complaint the ex-aide filed last summer to the congressional Office of Compliance.
In a statement, Ryan's spokeswoman said the allegations must be investigated "fully and immediately" by the House Ethics Committee and that Meehan would immediately submit himself to the committee's review. Meehan is being removed from his position on the committee, and Ryan told Meehan that he should repay any taxpayer funds that were used to settle the case, Ryan's spokeswoman said.
The Times did not identify the accuser and said she did not speak to the newspaper.
In a statement, the four-term congressman's office denied that Meehan sexually harassed or mistreated the ex-aide. It also said Meehan, the former U.S. attorney in Philadelphia, had asked congressional lawyers who handled the case to ask the ex-aide's lawyer to dissolve the settlement's confidentiality requirements "to ensure a full and open airing of all the facts."
Latest videos
- Women's March Sets Its Sights On Ballot Box Associated Press
- Trump Arrives at Pentagon Amid Budget Battles Associated Press
- Catalan parliament holds first meeting, voting in separatist MP as speaker Euronews
- Biden: We're Undergoing 'A Battle For The Soul Of The Nation' GeoBeats
- Thousands evacuated as Philippine volcano nears eruption Euronews
- Legendary Musician Eric Clapton Says He Is Going Deaf Wibbitz
- James Franco Accused of Inappropriate Behavior By Five Women Entertainment Weekly
- Is an Oprah Presidency a “Slayed or Shade”? Essence
- House GOP Leaders Look Ahead to 2018 Agenda Associated Press
- Did Steve Bannon ever matter? Mic
- Nissan Brain-to-Vehicle technology redefines future of driving - Vehicle Prototype and Action Prediction Validation AutomotoTV
- Executive order targets gun shows Fox5
- Trump Mocks Kim Jong Un: My Nuclear Button is 'Much Bigger' Wibbitz
- Teen Kills Family in New Year's Eve Shooting Time
- Fire at Rooftop Mumbai Restaurant Leaves 15 Dead Associated Press
- Boiling Water Turns to Snow in Record N.H. Cold Associated Press
- Obama: Leaders Should Create A 'Common Space' On The Internet GeoBeats
- Firefighters head from Granite State to help California WMUR
- Senate moves tax cut legislation to brink of final passage Chicago Tribune
- GOP: Tax Plan is a 'Promise Made, Promise Kept' Associated Press
"Throughout his career he has always treated his colleagues, male and female, with the utmost respect and professionalism," Meehan's office said.
The accuser's lawyer, Alexis Ronickher, called the allegations "well-grounded" and rejected the idea of doing away with confidentiality. Meehan is trying to victimize her client twice by revealing the woman's identity and litigating the case in the media, Ronickher said.
Ronickher called it a "dirty political maneuver" by Meehan and an effort to save his political career by making it look like he's being transparent.
"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.
Ronickher said the Ethics Committee investigation must include the fact that Meehan, in his Saturday statement responding to the Times article, "knowingly breached confidentiality in his agreement by discussing the case and the terms of any potential settlement agreement."
Meehan's office did not respond to questions about whether he used taxpayer money to settle the case or whether he would submit to the Ethics Committee investigation. However, his office said 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.
Meehan represents a closely divided district that Democrat Hillary Clinton narrowly won in the 2016 presidential election.
Calls from Democrats for Meehan to resign were immediate, including one from Pennsylvania's Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, who said the U.S. House should investigate "how this matter was handled from top to bottom."