Texas congressman won’t seek re-election
WASHINGTON — A congressman under scrutiny for allegations that he sexually harassed female staff members and created a hostile work environment announced Thursday that he will not seek re-election next year.
Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, who settled a complaint with his former communications director, Lauren Greene, but denied wrongdoing in the case, plans to serve out the rest of his term, he said Thursday in a video posted to Facebook. His decision makes him the sixth lawmaker to fall over allegations of misconduct as Congress grapples with how to address what some aides have described as a culture of inappropriate behavior on Capitol Hill.
Farenthold, who represents the 27th Congressional District along the Texas Gulf Coast, including Corpus Christi, apologized Thursday in the fiveminute video.
“I allowed a workplace culture to take root in my office that was too permissive and decidedly unprofessional,” he said, carefully reading a prepared statement. “It accommodated destructive gossip, offhand comments, off-color jokes … and I allowed the personal stress of the job to manifest itself in angry outbursts.”
The announcement came the morning after the Nevada Independent published new allegations of inappropriate behavior by Rep. Ruben Kihuen, D-Nev. The freshman congressman, once considered a rising star in Nevada politics, has refused to step down amid calls from party leaders.
Farenthold continued to deny charges from Greene, who accused him of making sexually inappropriate comments designed to gauge whether she was interested in an extramarital relationship. And he stated his belief that he broke no laws.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said he supported Farenthold’s decision, citing “disconcerting” new accounts of his behavior toward staff members.