Payouts cost House $342,000

WASHINGTON — Newly released statistics show taxpayers paid more than $342,000 to settle workplace discrimination disputes at House lawmakers’ offices between 2008 and 2012, including nearly $175,000 for eight settlements related to sexual harassment and sex discrimination accusations.

The new numbers were released Tuesday by the House Office of Compliance, the taxpayer-funded office that handles the often-secret payouts to House employees. The information reveals three previously undisclosed settlements for sexual harassment.

One of those payouts, for $85,000, was to settle claims brought against Rep. Eric Massa, D-N.Y., who resigned in 2010 over accusations that he sexually harassed male aides, according to a person with knowledge of the settlement.

A voicemail left at the office for Massa’s attorney, James Doyle, was not immediately returned on Tuesday.

The Office of Compliance previously released more recent statistics that revealed a single $84,000 sexual harassment payment on behalf of Rep. Blake Farenthold. Before announcing that he won’t seek re-election, Farenthold pledged to pay back the amount of his settlement.

The new data show payouts totaling $342,225.85 for member-led offices, including roughly $115,000 paid to settle three sexual harassment complaints in the four-year period. About $53,000 was paid to settle five cases involving sex discrimination.

The statistics also show an additional $12,240 was paid to settle an age and race discrimination and retaliation claim for a non-member-led office on Capitol Hill.

In the past month, six lawmakers have been forced to resign, retire or abandon plans to seek re-election after each was accused of sexually inappropriate behavior: Reps. Farenthold, Ruben Kihuen and Joe Barton have said they won’t run again, while Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota and Reps. Trent Franks of Arizona and John Conyers of Michigan announced their resignations.

As a result, both chambers have agreed to adopt mandatory sexual harassment training programs for all members and their staffs.