Farenthold tells Abbott he’s not paying

Ex-Congressman says vote is unnecessary, blasts Abbott’s letter as ‘cheap political shot’

Scandal-plagued former Rep. Blake Farenthold fires back at Gov. Greg Abbott in a sharply worded letter declaring he won’t pay for a special election to replace him.

AUSTIN — Scandal-plagued former Rep. Blake Farenthold fired back at Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday in a sharply worded letter declaring he has no intention of paying for the cost of a special election to replace him.

In the four-page letter, Farenthold tells Abbott there was never a need for a special election to replace him because of the light agenda expected in D.C. through the rest of the year.

“Since I didn’t call it and I don’t think it’s necessary, I shouldn’t be asked to pay for it,” the letter with Farenthold’s signature states.

The letter is in response to Abbott sending him a letter last week telling him that he should pay $200,000 to help Texas counties pay for the special election in the 27th Congressional District. Abbott also called on Farenthold to repay $84,000 he promised to re-

turn to the the U.S. Treasury for a taxpayer-funded settlement he reached in a 2014 sexual harassment lawsuit.

“Mr. Farenthold’s decision is disappointing, but it’s not surprising that his last act would be to stick taxpayers with the bill at the worst possible time,” said Abbott’s deputy communications director, Ciara Matthews. “While Mr. Farenthold may consider this resolved, we’re not closing the case on this issue.”

‘Frivolous’ allegations

Besides taking on Abbott, Farenthold also used the letter to “set the record straight” with scores of other enemies. He blames “the #MeToo movement” for targeting him in a “witch hunt” because of his “unwavering support” for President Donald Trump.

Farenthold, who abruptly announced his resignation April 6, noted that House Speaker Paul Ryan told him he’d stand by him but two days later pressured him to resign.

Farenthold also writes at length about the “totally frivolous” harassment claims against him that ultimately led to him settling a lawsuit and now his resignation.

The lawsuit by former Farenthold aide Lauren Greene alleged that the congressman had discussed his sexual fantasies about her and said at a staff meeting that a lobbyist had propositioned him for a threesome. It accused Farenthold of repeatedly complimenting her appearance, then joking that he hoped the comments wouldn’t be construed as sexual harassment.

Farenthold, a sevenyear House veteran from Corpus Christi whose district reaches to Matagorda County, had said he’d engaged in no wrongdoing when he settled the case in 2015.

But after congressional sources said he’d paid the $84,000 settlement using taxpayer money, public focus intensified. Farenthold had promised to reimburse the Treasury Department for the cost of the settlement, but he hasn’t done so yet.

No admission of guilt

In his letter Wednesday, Farenthold defends himself at length and presents himself as a victim.

“I want to make perfectly clear that there were never any allegations that I ever touched anyone,” he writes. “In fact, while in office, there was never an instance in which I made sexual advances, requested sexual favors or engaged in physical harassment of a sexual nature. I did, however, run a more informal office than some people may have expected from a career politician.”

Farenthold said “as a husband and father of two successful daughters,” he wanted to fight the claims in court but let U.S. House attorneys push him to settle. Under a 1995 law, he said Congress would pay the settlement since the claims were made against his office and not him personally. He said if he paid the settlement out of his own money, he thought it would be considered almost a bribe.

“Therefore, your statement that I wrongfully used taxpayer funds is inconsistent with the truth, the opinions of House attorneys, and Federal law,” Farenthold writes to Abbott.

Farenthold stresses that settling the lawsuit is not an admission of any wrongdoing.

Farenthold also took a dig at Abbott for sending his letter last week to the media before delivering it to him first. Farenthold said Abbott is an honorable man “who is above cheap political shots, bullying and kicking someone while they are down, especially a fellow Republican.”

Abbott said he called a special election for June 30, because of the ongoing recovery from Hurricane Harvey.

“Your statement that I wrongfully used taxpayer funds is inconsistent with the truth. …” Blake Farenthold, former U.S. representative