Rising Democrat star quits as photos leaked amid claims of affair
Katie Hill, a rising Democratic star in the House of Representatives, has announced her resignation amid an ethics probe, saying explicit private photos of her with a campaign staffer had been “weaponised” by her husband and opponents.
The California Democrat, 32, had been hand-picked for a coveted leadership seat. But in recent days, compromising photos of Ms Hill and purported text messages from her to a campaign staffer surfaced online in the Daily Mail. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Ms Hill had acknowledged “errors in judgment” that made her continued service in Congress “untenable”.
The House ethics committee had launched an investigation into whether Ms Hill had an inappropriate relationship with an aide in her congressional office, which is prohibited under House rules.
Ms Hill, one of the few openly bisexual women in Congress, has denied that and vowed to fight a “smear” campaign waged by a husband she called abusive.
But her relationship with the campaign aide became a concern for House Democrats, who have made equality in the workplace a particular priority. On Sunday, after apologising for the relationship with a subordinate, Ms Hill announced she was stepping down.
“It is with a broken heart that today I announce my resignation from Congress,” she wrote in a statement.
“Having private photos of personal moments weaponised against me has been an appalling invasion of my privacy. It’s also illegal, and we are currently pursuing all of our available legal options,” she added.
“However, I know that as long as I am in Congress, we’ll live fearful of what might come next and how much it will hurt.”
Ms Hill’s statement provided no details on that or when she would step down. Her office and campaign provided no additional public comment.
Ms Pelosi praised Ms Hill in a statement for bringing “a powerful commitment to her community and a bright vision for the future” to the House, but added: “She has acknowledged errors in judgment that made her continued service as a member untenable.
“We must ensure a climate of integrity and dignity in the Congress, and in all workplaces.”
Ms Pelosi picked Ms Hill for a coveted leadership seat. Ms Hill had also been named vice chair of the powerful House oversight committee.
Ms Hill’s abrupt fall came after a meteoric rise in which she won the last Republicanheld House seat anchored in Los Angeles County, part of a rout that saw Republican House members driven out of their seats in southern California.