Lawmakers confronting sexual abuse allegations
Nation: San Jose’s Lofgren remains interested in Judiciary post, now vacated during harassment probe
WASHINGTON — Sexual harassment allegations engulfing Rep. John Conyers, who has temporarily relinquished his post as ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, could open the door for a Bay Area veteran to fill what is considered one of the most powerful positions in Congress.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, a member of Congress since 1994, made clear in June that she would vie for the top minority seat on the committee if the opportunity arose. Her office confirmed late Monday in an email that Lofgren is still interested in the post, but declined to elaborate. Lofgren, for her part, declined to comment.
Lofgren would have to persuade a majority of the 194member House Democratic caucus to select her over Conyers, who has only temporarily stepped aside until the harassment claims are resolved, and the No. 2 Democrat on the committee, Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York.
If Democrats retake the House majority in next November’s midterm elections, whoever is the committee’s ranking Democrat would become chair of a committee many see as critical for taking on President Trump.
Conyers, 88, of Michigan acknowledged Nov. 19 that he had settled a sexual harassment claim against him two years ago. Despite settling the claim, he vigorously denies allegations of wrongdoing and said he “would like very much to remain as ranking member” of the committee once the investigation is over.
On Monday, the Detroit News reported that a former Conyers deputy chief of staff says he made unwanted sexual advances toward her, including inappropriate touching.
Deanna Maher, who ran a Michigan office for him from 1997 to 2005, said there were three instances of inappropriate conduct in the late 1990s.
Conyers’ attorney Arnold Reed questioned why Maher continued to work for him after the alleged incidents.
Maher says she needed a job at age 57 and feared no one would hire her.
The 20-member Judiciary Committee plays a primary role in debates over immigration, voting rights, patents, antitrust law and many other controversial issues. It oversees impeachment charges brought against sitting presidents.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco has tried, at times unsuccessfully, to navigate a treacherous line between encouraging Conyers, the oldest and longest-serving member of Congress, to step down while trying not to appear to be forcing out a founder of the Congressional Black Caucus and the first African American to chair the committee.
Pelosi came under intense criticism for calling Conyers in a Sunday morning television interview an “icon” who is owed “due process.” By Sunday afternoon, she had backpedaled, issuing a statement saying, “Zero tolerance means consequences.”
Many Democrats had wanted Conyers to step down at the start of the year. He sometimes had appeared befuddled in public, and reportedly showed up twice in pajamas to important events. In June, Nadler and Lofgren engaged in a public tussle over who would eventually replace him on the Judiciary Committee after Nadler had begun holding private meetings to discuss the issue.
Lofgren issued a public statement at the time putting herself in the running.
Under Democratic caucus rules, seniority is only one factor in choosing committee leaders. Other factors include whether a candidate would add to diversity and “degree of commitment to the Democratic agenda.”
Commitment is often measured in campaign dollars a sitting member has donated to Democratic candidates to help win back the House. According to Open Secrets, a group that tracks campaign finance, Lofgren has donated $150,000 of her campaign funds to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the party’s House campaign arm, while Nadler has donated $22,500.
Any battle between Lofgren and Nadler would be decided by House Democrats on a secret ballot, following a recommendation by the caucus’ Steering and Policy Committee.
Lofgren is a longtime party leader on immigration issues and a fierce proponent of creating a citizenship path for socalled Dreamers, who came to the United States without papers as children. She has also long pushed for expanded work visas, known as H-1Bs, for the tech industry. Lofgren currently holds the top Democratic position on Judiciary’s immigration and border security panel.