Conyers’ career comes to quick end
Congressman “retires” under cloud of sexual harassment accusations
DETROIT – Facing a rising chorus of voices demanding he step down because of sexual harassment claims, U.S. Rep. John Conyers retired Tuesday from the seat he held for more than five decades, a swift and crushing fall from grace for a civil rights icon and the longest-serving active member of Congress.
Saying he was finalizing his plans for retirement, Conyers, D-Mich., said he would endorse his son, John Conyers III, to replace him in Congress, potentially setting up a fight between him and his cousin, state Sen. Ian Conyers, in a special election to be called by the governor.
In his statement on the Mildred
Gaddis Show on WPZR-FM in Detroit on Tuesday morning, Conyers did not describe his action as a resignation but said his decision was immediate.
His lawyer, Arnold Reed, confirmed that Conyers left the seat as of Tuesday.
“My legacy can’t be compromised or diminished in any way by what we’re going through now. This, too, shall pass. ... My legacy will continue through my children,” Conyers told Gaddis. “I am retiring today, and I want everyone to know how much I appreciate the ... incredible, undiminished support I’ve received across the years from my supporters, not only from my district but across the country as well.”
As for the accusations against him, Conyers said, “They’re not accurate, they’re not true and they’re something I can’t explain where they came from.”
Conyers probably will receive a yearly pension of about $139,200.