HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Republican congressman from Pennsylvania who settled a former aide's sexual harassment complaint with taxpayer money says he developed a deep affection for her but never harassed her or pursued a romantic relationship.
Rep. Pat Meehan told The Philadelphia Inquirer on Tuesday that he intends to run for re-election in his suburban Philadelphia district.
The four-term Republican also told the Inquirer that he once told the woman that he saw her as a "soul mate" and reacted "selfishly" when he discovered the decades-younger woman was in a serious relationship with another man.
The complaint by the former aide came to light Saturday in a New York Times report that cited unnamed people.
The settlement had been kept secret, and Meehan's office hasn't said how much taxpayer money Meehan paid out in it.
