Former Conyers staffer accuses him of inappropriate touching
WASHINGTON (AP) - A former staffer to John Conyers says the Michigan congressman made unwanted sexual advances that included partially undressing in front of her in a hotel room and inappropriate touching, the latest sexual misconduct allegations against the longest-serving member of the House.
Deanna Maher, 77, who ran a Michigan office for Conyers from 1997 to 2005, told The Associated Press Tuesday that the first incident occurred in 1997 during a three-day Congressional Black Caucus event in Washington, which she said she "felt honored" to attend.
Maher said while she was in the bedroom of a hotel suite, Conyers walked in, called room service and ordered sandwiches.
"I had my nightclothes on," said Maher, who now lives in the Holland area in western Michigan. "I was just scared to death. I was married at the time. He sat in the bedroom taking his clothes off. I didn't say anything and he didn't say anything."
Nothing happened between them, she added.
"He didn't go naked. He was down to his skivvies," Maher said. "He sat there eating sandwiches and then he stormed out and slammed the door. I was so embarrassed and ashamed of myself for being so stupid. I needed a job."
"He didn't put his hand on me, but the message was loud and clear," she said.
The House Ethics Committee is investigating allegations against Conyers, who has denied the accusations and refused to resign. He announced Sunday that he would step aside as the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee.
Separately Tuesday, the House's top Democrat said in a letter to the ethics panel that it should move quickly with its inquiry.
"We are at a watershed moment for our country in the fight against sexual harassment and discrimination," wrote Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat. "The Committee on Ethics has a great responsibility to proceed expeditiously as well as fairly into any investigation of credible harassment and discrimination allegations."
Conyers was first elected in 1964 and was one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Conyers met with the caucus in Washington Tuesday and afterward the group's chairman declined to say if he'd urged Conyers to resign his seat. "That's a personal decision for him and his family," Rep. Cedric Richmond told reporters. Asked if he thinks Conyers will make the right decision, Richmond said, "He always does."
Some of the Detroit Democrat's House colleagues are calling for him to end his more than 50 years as a lawmaker.
Democrat Kathleen Rice of New York was joined Tuesday by U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal from Washington state in calling for Conyers to step down.
"This is a watershed moment where, finally, the country seems to be waking up and realizing we need to have a zero tolerance policy toward sexual harassment," Jayapal said in a statement. "We cannot pick and choose."
"...It is not easy for me to reach this conclusion because, as a civil rights activist, I have looked up to Rep. Conyers for decades. I believe these women, I see the pattern and there is only one conclusion - Mr. Conyers must resign," she said.
An aide to a member of the Congressional Black Caucus said that "members of the CBC are split" on whether Conyers should step down. Indeed, the aide said their boss believes that it would be premature for Conyers to step down. The lawmaker believes the Ethics Committee should proceed with its investigation and "let the process play out."
The aide says there is "in no way, shape or form a unified approach" within the CBC on Conyers. The aide spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
The Senate Ethics Committee could also soon be investigating allegations made against Sen. Al Franken after radio news anchor Leeann Tweeden accused him of forcibly kissing her on a USO tour in the Middle East in 2006, before he was elected to office. Tweeden also released a photograph of Franken appearing to grope her breasts while she's sleeping. Two women have also come forward to accuse Franken of grabbing their buttocks while posing for photographs.
Franken has apologized and said he welcomed an investigation.
The lawmakers are among a number of prominent men in politics, entertainment and journalism who have been accused of sexual misconduct in the wake of explosive allegations against former Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein. Also last week, Rep. Joe Barton apologized for a nude photograph leaked on social media.
Maher's allegations against Conyers initially were reported by The Detroit News. She said there were other incidents involving unwanted touching in a car in 1998 and unwanted touching of her legs under her dress in 1999.
Conyers was driving the two to a Detroit-area airport in 1998 when he began touching her leg, Maher told the AP.
"He was feeling me up," she said. "He was an older guy, a terrible driver and all over Interstate 75. He was stopped by a (Michigan State Police) trooper."
Conyers' attorney, Arnold Reed, said Maher's allegations are uncorroborated and Conyers denies wrongdoing.
"John Conyers has always said he's not guilty of harassing these women," Reed said. "Any woman or man that is violated, that's unacceptable - completely unacceptable. By the same token, a person has right to protest his innocence. This is what we call due process. Mr. Conyers wants to be cooperative and will be cooperative with any investigation."
Last week, BuzzFeed News reported that the 88-year-old lawmaker had settled a complaint in 2015 from a woman staffer who alleged she was fired because she rejected his sexual advances.
BuzzFeed reported that Conyers' office paid the woman over $27,000 to settle the complaint under a confidentiality agreement. BuzzFeed also published affidavits from former staff members who said they had witnessed Conyers touching female staffers inappropriately or requesting sexual favors.
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Associated Press videographer Mike Householder in Detroit contributed to this story. Corey Williams reported from Detroit.