House panel to investigate Hill for alleged sexual relationship
The House Ethics Committee said Wednesday that it was investigating allegations that Rep. Katie Hill of California, a firstterm Democrat considered a rising star in the party, had a sexual relationship with a member of her congressional staff in violation of House rules.
Hill, 32, has denied the allegation. Her office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
The allegation stemmed from a recent report published on a conservative news site, RedState. The report alleged that Hill had been intimately involved with her legislative director and was separately in a three-way sexual relationship with her husband, whom she is divorcing, and a young campaign aide.
A nude photograph of Hill and another woman was published and circulated online by conservative critics, some of whom called for Hill’s resignation. The image was published without Hill’s consent, and she said she had referred the matter to law enforcement authorities.
Supporters of Hill said she was a victim of “revenge porn” — illegal under California law. Members of Congress are barred by House rules from engaging in sexual relationships with their aides, but the rules do not cover campaign staff members.
The Ethics Committee said in a statement Wednesday that “The mere fact that it was investigating the allegations, and publicly disclosing its review, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred, or reflect any judgment on behalf of the Committee.”
Hill, the first openly bisexual congresswoman from California, unseated a Republican, Steve Knight, when Democrats swept to power in the House in 2018. She represents the 25th Congressional District that covers parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi named Hill vice chairwoman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, an unusually highranking position for a freshman on a panel that is playing a crucial role in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.