Since 1997, Congress has paid out more than $17 million for 264 settlements regarding workplace disputes on Capitol Hill. The details of these settlements have been kept secret from American taxpayers. What is going on in Washington, D.C.?
Over the last 20 years, over $17 million of public money has been paid out to settle 264 workplace disputes. While not all of the settlements have involved sexual harassment, documents from the latest example involving Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) shines a light on the inner workings of the Office of Compliance, which has been using taxpayer money to conceal the sexual abuse perpetrated by members of Congress for decades. It is important to note that this settlement came out of the office budget of Rep. Conyer, meaning that this settlement isn’t even included in the $17 million total.
“John Conyers is an icon in our country. He has done a great deal to protect women.” – Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
It is currently impossible to know how much of the $17 million went to sexual harassment settlements, as the Office of Compliance does not release information with the payments separated by category. So in addition to sexual harassment, funds are paid out to settle disputes over situations involving workplace safety and wages. The Office also states that a significant number of settlements involve more than just members of the House and Senate.
The names of congressional members who make settlements regarding their misconduct are not disclosed, meaning that there is no accountability for repeat offenders to potential future employees or to the offender’s constituents. In the House, the top Republican and top Democrat on the House Administration Committee have sole authority to approve settlements.
The settlement is then paid for out of the Office of Compliance, which has money allocated every year in its annual budget. Yes, you read that correctly: Two representatives can approve secret payments for harassment claims for any member of the House; this happens so often that taxpayer dollars are allocated every year for these types of settlements. The Senate does not require approval from an administrative panel, providing even less oversight of these settlements.
Another major concern centers on the degrees of confidentiality required of the victims involved in settlements. Confidentiality is required during mandatory counseling and mediation periods. Non-disclosure agreements abound. The entire system is so burdensome that it discourages victims from filing complaints and is so opaque that there is no accountability for taxpayer-funded settlements. If members of Congress are actually committed to serving the American people, simple reform is not enough. Congress has the ability to unseal all deals and reveal the names of elected officials who reached settlements and what the price tags were.
Even more alarming is that if Congress actually investigates itself, then manages to miraculously reform itself, changes to settlement payments would not apply to situations like Rep. Conyers. Conyers paid the victim of his sexual harassment out of his taxpayer-funded office budget. A Congressman’s office budget is paid for by the American taxpayer, based on a trust that these funds will enable their elected officials to do their job. Yet Conyers has proven that these funds can be used to hide corruption from the people who elected them in the first place.
