House panel requests documents on payouts

WASHINGTON — The House Ethics Committee on Friday requested records detailing taxpayerfinanced payments made over the years to settle claims of sexual harassment, discrimination and other prohibited behavior by members of Congress.

A separate review shows that the Office of Compliance, which administers the payments, spent nearly $360,000 over the past five years to settle six claims — most for various forms of discrimination but one for sexual harassment in the amount of $84,000. The office promised the House Administration Committee that it would gather data for previous years as quickly as possible.

The fund is not the only source of settlement payments for lawmakers. Members like Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., have used their office budgets to settle — and conceal — complaints, a method that hampers public scrutiny.

Congressional leaders are under pressure to respond to a national outcry against sexual harassment, with Conyers and Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., the latest lawmakers facing allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior.

Rep. Susan Brooks, the Republican chairman of the House Ethics Committee, and Rep. Ted Deutch, the top Democrat on the committee, wrote to the Office of Compliance’s executive director requesting that she “promptly” provide the committee with all records relating to alleged employment practices prohibited by statute and House rules.

The committee generally investigates after a referral is made about a particular lawmaker. The move Friday is unusual because of its pro-active nature. It comes after the House passed legislation earlier this week requiring annual antiharassment training for lawmakers and aides.

Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said an upcoming target for examination would be the secretive practice lawmakers have used to settle harassment and discrimination complaints. No information is publicly released and recipients must promise silence.

The lawmakers did not cite any individual lawmaker in their request for information. Nor did they make any restrictions in their request for how much time had lapsed since the settlement had occurred.

The Washington Post contributed to this report.

J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., settled a 2015 harassment claim. He denied the allegation, but since then other women have accused him of improper conduct.