Policing itself, Congress has shelled out millions in taxpayer dollars to settle sexual harassment and other claims.
Over the past 20 years, taxpayers have shelled out roughly $15 million dollars to settle harassment charges against members of Congress and their staffers. Some but not all of the settlements were for sexual harassment. The payments have been made through the Office of Compliance and are funded with taxpayer money.
While many Americans would simply be fired from their jobs if they harassed coworkers and others, members of Congress and their staff are apparently given “get out of jail free” cards. This card is paid for by the US Treasury (and thus taxpayers). Many of the accused seem to escape judgment through the process.
Besides sexual harassment claims, the Office of Compliance has quietly settled other forms of harassment, including racial and religious discrimination. In total, 260 settlements were paid out from 1997 to 2016. No settlements have been paid out this year.
Not surprisingly, Congress has been handed the keys to police itself and approve settlements without outside oversight. Currently, a Mississippi Republican, Gregg Harper, chairs the House Administration Committee, which must approve of payments.
Details regarding the cases and who has been accused remain unknown. Only the highest ranking members of the House Administration Committee are privy to the information. Several members of Congress have proposed bills to provide more oversight.
In many cases, it appears that staffers have been the source of complaints rather than the elected officials themselves. Cash settlement is only one of many “tiers” within the process. It appears that many harassment cases are actually settled through mediation rather than financial settlement.
The Office of Compliance isn’t the only avenue for victims to recieve hush money either. Members of Congress can use their own office funds to quiet plaintiffs. It was recently revealed that Representative John Conyers paid out $27,000 through his office budget to silence a victim. Those funds, of course, comes from the taxpayer.
Roy Moore Campaign Drawing More Scrutiny on Sexual Harassment
The payments have come under scrutiny following widespread sexual harassment claims against Roy Moore, a Republican candidate seeking to lock up the Alabama Senate special election. Most recently, an accuser has claimed that Roy Moore called her school to talk to her. The accuser had previously rebuffed Moore’s advances.
Moore is causing a lot of headaches for the Republican Party. Many GOP leaders never wanted to see Moore on the ticket, instead preferring establishment favorite Luther Strange. Following sexual harassment claims, many GOP leaders have gone out of their way to condemn Moore.
In an open letter to Sean Hannity, Roy Moore claimed that he was the victim of a political hit job. Hannity had demanded that Moore explain himself, and threatened to call on Moore to step aside if he didn’t.
Meanwhile, a robocall from a fake Washington Post reporter, Lenny Bernstein, has also been making rounds in Alabama. During the call, “Bernstein” asks if a woman at the address will make accusations against Moore in exchange for cash. The call appears to be satirical in nature but has caused an uproar.
The Washington Post blew the current accusations against Moore wide open with a story on his alleged relationship with a 14-year-old. At the time of the relationship, Moore was a 32-year-old prosecutor.
