Let The Conyers Political Devouring Frenzy Commence!

Democratic Candidates for the 13th Congressional District
2018 Primary Election

For the last 50 years, the 13th Congressional Primary Race has always decided the outcome of the General Election, as the district has traditionally been Democratic.

Let the Conyers political devouring frenzy commence! 

DETROIT — Michigan’s Republican governor announced Friday that Democrat John Conyers’ congressional seat won’t be filled until the regularly scheduled November election, leaving it vacant for nearly a year.

Gov. Rick Snyder decided the post will effectively be listed twice on the Aug. 7 primary and Nov. 6 general election ballots. While unlikely, it is possible voters could choose one candidate to fill the vacancy until January 2019 and elect another to a full two-year term after that.

Snyder said he opted against having an earlier special election to give potential candidates ample time to decide about running, provide voters in the predominantly Democratic district more options and save money.

The 88-year-old Conyers, who was facing a House Ethics Committee investigation over claims by former staffers, cited health reasons for his resignation.

Michael Gilmore, a Detroit attorney who is running for the seat, said not having representation in the House for nearly a year is unfair to residents.

“I think it’s unfortunate that the governor thinks this is what we’re worth,” Gilmore said Friday.

The governor said the election would not occur until November in part to give potential candidates time to make a decision and reduce the financial burden on local taxpayers.[pullquote]

Snyder’s office said it consulted with Wayne County leadership before making a decision. The 13th Congressional District Democratic Party Organization backed the decision, too.

“In order to allow several months for that to take place and to reduce the financial burden on local taxpayers, the primary and general elections will be held when regularly scheduled elections are already occurring,” Snyder said in a statement.

The filing deadline is April 24 for both elections. Whoever wins the special election will serve next November and December, and — if he or she also wins the regular race — will serve a two-year term starting in 2019. A Snyder spokeswoman said it could have cost up to $2 million if the special elections were scheduled on non-regular election dates.

Detroit, a city of about 680,000, currently does not have any resident serving in Congress.

Former Michigan Department Party Chairman Mark Brewer tweeted that Snyder’s decision “continues to give the back of his hand to urban areas whether it’s emergency managers, poisoned water, and now being denied representation in Congress for nearly a year.”

But Jonathan Kinloch, chairman of the 13th Congressional District Democratic Party Organization, said earlier this week that having the elections on the regularly scheduled dates avoids the typical low turnouts associated with special elections.

“We want as many voters as possible to participate in the filling of the seat,” he said.

John Conyers retired Wednesday amid allegations by about a half-dozen women who once worked for him that they were harassed and touched inappropriately. He has denied the allegations. Conyers first was elected in 1964.

Some colleagues in the U.S. House had urged Conyers to resign. When he did, he endorsed his 27-year-old son, John Conyers III, to succeed him. The younger Conyers, a partner with a Detroit-based, minority-run hedge fund, posted on Twitter this week that he has not decided whether he wants to run for his father’s old seat. The Associated Press has been unable to reach him for comment.

[pullquote] Detroit, a city of about 680,000, currently does not have any resident serving in Congress.

The race for the seat in the district that includes parts of Detroit and some western Wayne County communities could become a free-for-all.

Gilmore said he began fundraising for his campaign in April and had planned to challenge John Conyers prior to the sexual harassment allegations.

Democratic state Sen. Ian Conyers, John Conyers’ grand-nephew, said earlier this week that he will run.

Fellow Democratic state Sent. Coleman Young II is expected on Monday to announce his intent to run, his spokesman said.

Young sought Detroit’s mayoral seat his late father, Mayor Coleman A. Young, once held, but lost to incumbent Mike Duggan in the November general election.

“He is battle-tested. This mayoral race has prepared him,” Young spokesman Adolph Mongo told The Associated Press. “He knows the issues in the 13th District. He’s been campaigning for 10 months on the issues.”

Conyers III never has been elected to a public post. Ian Conyers won a special election in 2016 for the state senate seat. Young was elected in 2010 to the Michigan Senate. He served in the state House from 2005 to 2010.

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Quick Question To FEC: "Why Is John Conyers Registered As Campaign Website Administrator?"

Quick question to the FEC: 

Why is John Conyers registered as the site administrator and contact?

I have alot more questions, but I am pretty sure I already know the answers.

Stay tuned.

Showing results for: JOHNCONYERS.COM

Original Query: johnconyers.com

Contact Information

Registrant Contact

Name: Conyers, John

Organization: Conyers for Congress Committee

Mailing Address: 1031 North Edgewood Street, Arlington VA 22201 US

Phone: 540-548-2988

Ext:

Fax:

Fax Ext:

Email:campaign@johnconyers.com

Admin Contact

Name: Conyers, John

Organization: Conyers for Congress Committee

Mailing Address: 1031 North Edgewood Street, Arlington VA 22201 US

Phone: 540-548-2988

Ext:

Fax:

Fax Ext:

Email:campaign@johnconyers.com

Tech Contact

Name: Inc., NameSecure

Organization: Namesecure Inc.

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 785, Herndon VA 20172 US

Phone: +1.5707088418

Ext:

Fax:

Fax Ext:

Email:support@namesecure.com

Registrar

WHOIS Server: whois.namesecure.com

URL: http://www.namesecure.com

Registrar: NAMESECURE.COM

IANA ID: 30

Abuse Contact Email:abuse@web.com

Abuse Contact Phone: +1.8888012112

Status

Important Dates

Updated Date: 2017-03-20

Created Date: 2003-11-27

Registrar Expiration Date: 2019-07-22

Name Servers

DNS2.NAMESECURE.COM

DNS1.NAMESECURE.COM

Raw WHOIS Record

Domain Name: JOHNCONYERS.COM
Registry Domain ID: Registrar WHOIS Server: whois.namesecure.com
Registrar URL: http://www.namesecure.com
Updated Date: 2017-03-20T17:26:05Z
Creation Date: 2003-11-27T12:55:27Z
Registrar Registration Expiration Date: 2019-07-22T04:00:00Z
Registrar: NAMESECURE.COM
Registrar IANA ID: 30
Registrar Abuse Contact Email: abuse@web.com
Registrar Abuse Contact Phone: +1.8888012112
Reseller: Domain Status: Registry Registrant ID: Registrant Name: Conyers, John
Registrant Organization: Conyers for Congress Committee
Registrant Street: 1031 North Edgewood Street
Registrant City: Arlington Registrant State/Province: VA
Registrant Postal Code: 22201
Registrant Country: US
Registrant Phone: 540-548-2988
Registrant Phone Ext:
 Registrant Fax:
 Registrant Fax Ext:
 Registrant Email: campaign@johnconyers.com
Registry Admin ID:
 Admin Name: Conyers, John 
 Admin Organization: Conyers for Congress Committee
 Admin Street: 1031 North Edgewood Street
Admin City: Arlington
Admin State/Province: VA Admin Postal Code: 22201
Admin Country: US Admin Phone: 540-548-2988
Admin Phone Ext:
 Admin Fax:
 Admin Fax Ext:
 Admin Email: campaign@johnconyers.com
Registry Tech ID: Tech Name: Inc.,
NameSecure Tech Organization: Namesecure Inc.
Tech Street: P.O. Box 785 Tech City: Herndon
Tech State/Province: VA Tech Postal Code: 20172
Tech Country: US
Tech Phone: +1.5707088418
Tech Phone Ext:
 Tech Fax:
 Tech Fax Ext:
 Tech Email: support@namesecure.com
Name Server: DNS2.NAMESECURE.COM
Name Server: DNS1.NAMESECURE.COM DNSSEC:
Unsigned URL of the ICANN WHOIS Data Problem Reporting System: http://wdprs.internic.net/ >>> Last update of WHOIS database: 2017-12-07T06:25:22Z <<<

FEC FORM 1

STATEMENT OF ORGANIZATION

FILING FEC-1147776

---

1. Conyers for Congress

    1050 17th St NW
    Ste 590
    Washington, DC 20036
    Email: janica@pcmsllc.com

2. Date: 02/01/2017

3. FEC Committee ID #: C00409797

This committee is a Principal Campaign Committee.

Candidate: John Conyers, Jr.
Party: Democratic Party
Office Sought: House of Representatives
State is Michigan in District: 13

Affiliated Committees/Organizations

None
, ____

Custodian of Records:

Janica Kyriacopoulos
1050 17th St NW
Ste 590
Washington, DC 20036
Title: Custodian of Records
Phone # (202) 628-1580

Treasurer:

Greg Barnes
1050 17th St NW Ste 520
Washington, DC 20036
Title: Treasurer

Designated Agent(s):

Greg Barnes
1050 17th St NW
Ste 520
Washington, DC 20036
Title: Treasurer

Banks or Depositories

Amalgamated Bank
1825 K Street NW
Washington, DC 20006

Signed: Greg Barnes
Date Signed: 02/06/2017
Official Committee URL: http://www.johnconyers.com

(End FEC FORM 1)

Generated Thu Dec 7 02:00:45 2017

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Someone Said Sources Said Conyers Will Not Run Again

Any wagers on the next angle of attacks?

People are working really hard, knowing indictments are coming down, to prevent asset forfeiture and incarceration.

They already threw in a pinch of senility, but I did not feel like posting it.

Stay tuned.  This is just getting started.

Sources: Rep. John Conyers won't seek re-election in wake of sexual harassment claimsSources say Conyers will not resign



DETROIT - The controversy swirling around Michigan Rep. John Conyers has intensified this week as former staff members accused him of sexual harassment.

 Sources told Local 4 that Conyers will not seek re-election for a new term in the wake of the scandal, which continues to grow. Two sources close to the Conyers situation told Local 4's Rod Meloni that the congressman won't resign.

It's his intent to announce in January that he won't run for re-election in 2018.

 His attorney said the allegations are not true, but Conyers is under increased scrutiny, and his family is rallying around him.

 Conyers caught a bit of a break Wednesday as the Congressional Black Caucus met in Washington and Chairman Cedric Richmond disputed the stories saying he is pushing for Conyers to resign. 

Among the former staffers accusing Conyers of sexual harassment is Deanna Maher, who claimed Conyers sexually harassed her three times, including undressing to his underwear in her bedroom while she was in a nightgown.

 The Michigan Democratic Party has not yet responded to a request for comment about the sources' information that Conyers won't run again.

The situation could change depending on the pressure brought to bear in Washington.

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

And Another Former Staffer Accuses Conyers

Another former staffer accuses Rep. John Conyers of sexual misconduct

Veteran congressman John Conyers is facing a fresh round of sexual misconduct allegations after a former staffer said he made unwanted sexual advances toward her.

Deanna Maher, 77, said she decided to come forward with the allegations after Conyers, the longest-serving member in the House of Representatives, agreed to step down as ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee amid as Congress looked into separate claims of sexual misconduct against him.

The House Ethics Committee announced earlier this month that it would investigate allegations of sexual harassment and age discrimination against the Michigan Democrat, 88, involving his staff. Conyers, who has denied those allegations, said he would fully cooperate with the investigation.

Maher, who served as Conyers’ deputy chief of staff between 1997 and 2005, said Conyers touched her inappropriately on at least three occasions, including once in 1999 when he allegedly placed his hands underneath her dress.

“There are so many victims that passed through Conyers, and he was so cruel,” Maher told ABC News in a statement. “Everyone knew what was going on but no one did anything.”

“It’s been a long journey and a very painful one,” she added.

Maher said she decided to keep quiet about her experience because she “needed to earn a living.”

“Back when this was happening to me, I had to keep a job,” Maher said. “I was going through a divorce, and I had no money, and I had to have a job, and it’s hard to be employed especially at that time in my life. I was 57 at that time.”

Now, she says she hopes to be a champion for other victims of sexual harassment.

“At that time I could find my way out of circumstances, and he never succeeded with me, never -- I finally gave up and was able to move away. I survived it,” Maher said. “People would ask me how I was years later, and I would say I survived. I’m surviving. That’s the best you can do.”

“I’m doing this for all the other victims. Before I die, I will be happy to think that I did my part in helping all of the other staff members,” she added.

Maher said she was “absolutely amazed” when Conyers agreed to step down from his role as ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee.

His decision to step aside came after BuzzFeed News reported last week that Conyers' office paid a female aide over $27,000 to quietly settle a wrongful dismissal complaint.

ABC News also obtained court filings referencing a federal complaint filed by Conyers’ longtime scheduler, who alleged "sexual advances in the form of inappropriate comments and touches.” The case was later dropped after the judge denied her request to keep the complaint sealed to protect her privacy.

Separately, Melanie Sloan, a lawyer who worked with Conyers on the House Judiciary Committee, accused Conyers of being “increasingly abusive” to her, behavior she says wasn’t “sexual harassment” but “sexual discrimination.”

Conyers has acknowledged that his office settled a harassment complaint involving a former staffer but denies the allegations against him.

Conyers’ attorney, Arnold Reed, said Maher’s allegations were uncorroborated and that his client denies wrongdoing.

“At the end of the day, he’s confident that he will be exonerated because he maintains that he has not done anything wrong,” Reed said in a statement to The Detroit News, which first reported the story on Monday.

“Any female or male that comes forward and says anybody harasses them, that is serious. Those things are not to be taken lightly. But we have to be able to at least have some corroboration if we’re going to be saying my client did something wrong,” Reed added.

Conyers’ office did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment on these latest allegations.

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Former Conyers Staffers Come To The Defense

Former aides defend Conyers after harassment allegations

Washington (CNN)Twelve former female staffers of Rep. John Conyers say he "never behaved in a sexually inappropriate manner" in front of them as the Michigan Democrat faces an ethics investigation into sexual harassment allegations against him.

"While we do not pass judgment on the specific allegations reported in the press or the women who brought them, our experiences with Mr. Conyers were quite different than the image of him being portrayed in the media," the former staffers wrote in a joint statement that circulated on Sunday. "Mr. Conyers was a gentleman and never behaved in a sexually inappropriate manner in our presence. He was respectful, valued our opinions, challenged our thinking, and treated us as professionals."

Conyers, 88, faces a House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations that he sexually harassed or discriminated against members of his staff. Conyers has denied any wrongdoing but has indicated that he will cooperate with the ethics probe.

Earlier Sunday, Conyers said he would step aside as the top Democrat on the powerful House Judiciary Committee, but would fight the allegations.

"I very much look forward to vindicating myself and my family before the House Committee on Ethics," Conyers wrote Sunday in a letter to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat.

Pelosi said she supported his decision.

"Zero tolerance means consequences," Pelosi said in a statement. "Any credible accusation must be reviewed by the Ethics Committee expeditiously. We are at a watershed moment on this issue, and no matter how great an individual's legacy, it is not a license for harassment."

BuzzFeed News reported last week that Conyers settled a wrongful dismissal complaint in 2015 after allegedly sexually harassing a staffer. Court documents also revealed that a second former aide to Conyers accused him of sexual harassment.

New York Democratic Rep. Kathleen Rice has called on Conyers to resign his congressional seat over the allegations. Two other House Democrats, Reps. Gregory Meeks of New York and Raul Grijalva of Arizona, had called on Conyers to step aside from his judiciary post.

I will do a special honor of Raul Grijalva.

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I Know What You Did Last Summer, Nancy Pelosi

I know what you did last summer, Nancy.

I know you have been plotting with your minions to strip Mr. Conyers of his chairmanship for quite some time.

I know you have been plotting to take Mr. Conyers out of congress, for quite some time, also.

I know how your tried to do it.

I know why you tried to do it.

And I know who you did it with.

Perhaps, it is time you retire, gracefully, Nancy.

I know you shall do the right thing.

http://nancypelosiforcongress.com

CHUCK TODD:
Joining me now is House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California. Leader Pelosi, welcome back to Meet the Press.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

Morning. My pleasure to be here.

CHUCK TODD:

Happy Thanksgiving weekend.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

Thank you. Happy Thanksgiving to you, and congratulations on 70 years.

CHUCK TODD:

Thank you. Thank you for that. We're now 71. I'm going to go back into our wayback machine here. Here's you on Meet the Press, asked specifically about allegations against President Clinton. Here's what you said back in 1998.

(BEGIN TAPE)

TIM RUSSERT:

Why the silence when there have been these allegations, serious ones, about President Clinton?

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

Well, I'd like to say that I think that the women of America are speaking out about what they think about this whole situation. And the women of America are just like other Americans in that they value fairness, they value privacy, and do not want to see a person with uncontrolled power, uncontrolled time, uncontrolled, unlimited money investigating the president of the United States.

(END TAPE)

CHUCK TODD:

That's back then. And look, both Senator Gillibrand and Mayor de Blasio were basically making the argument that our culture's changed, and that, today, same allegations probably would have led Democrats, perhaps like yourself, to call for his resignation. You can have a debate about whether it was an impeachable offense, but whether he had the moral standing to stay in office. Do you agree with this idea that this is a generational change that we're experiencing?

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

Well, I think it's obviously a generational change. But let me just say the concern that we had then was that they were impeaching the president of the United States, and for something that had nothing to do with the performance of his duties, and trying to take him out for that reason.

But let's go forward. Let's go forward. I think that something wonderful is happening now, very credible. It's 100 years, almost 100 years, since women got the right to vote. Here we are, almost 100 years later, and something very transformative is happening. That is, women are saying, "Zero tolerance, no more, and we're going to speak out on it." And this is so wholesome, so refreshing, so different.

CHUCK TODD:

But why do you think the reaction was different by women on Bill Clinton? And I say that because it does seem as if, frankly, when you watch some of the reactions by the president in defending Roy Moore, or at least overlooking the allegations against Roy Moore, that, were you putting politics ahead of your personal disgust?

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

No, but we're talking about a child molester. This is--

CHUCK TODD:

Okay, but--

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

We're talking about a child molester.

CHUCK TODD:

But President Clinton was accused of being a sexual predator.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

Well--

CHUCK TODD:

And of even rape at one point, by one accuser.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

Why don't we talk, instead, about how we go forward. Nobody is proud of President Clinton's behavior at the time. But he was being impeached--

CHUCK TODD:

But I think the reason there's a re-litigation of this is that, I think the concern is that we allowed the erosion, that the reason we're at this moment and the reason it got worse over the last 20 years is because of the way we handled it collectively then. Do you buy that argument?

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

No. I buy that the election of President Trump, really, as your presenter said earlier, just evoked a response. So many women, and this is really important, I think, to note, because I've heard from so many women in the last few months, in fact, I heard, around the time of Anita Hill, so many women who've had a bad experience.

And now they're saying, "I had a bad experience, and now a person who possibly engaged in that activity is the president of the United States. I'm speaking out." So I think, as your presenter said earlier--

CHUCK TODD:

It was me, actually.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

Was that your voice?

CHUCK TODD:

Yes, that is my voice. That's okay.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

Then you had it right when you said Harvey didn't evoke this, the election of President Trump evoked what happened to Harvey. And now everybody is served notice.

CHUCK TODD:

Right.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

Let's go forward. Let's talk about, okay, let's learn from past decisions and go forward.

CHUCK TODD:

So define zero tolerance. You said there’s now a zero tolerance.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

Yes.

CHUCK TODD:

John Conyers. What does that mean for him? Right now. In or out?

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

We are strengthened by due process. Just because someone is accused -- and was it one accusation? Is it two? I think there has to be -- John Conyers is an icon in our country. He has done a great deal to protect women -- Violence Against Women Act, which the left -- right-wing -- is now quoting me as praising him for his work on that, and he did great work on that. But the fact is, as John reviews his case, which he knows, which I don’t, I believe he will do the right thing.

CHUCK TODD:

Why don’t you?

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

Excuse me. May I finish my sentence?

CHUCK TODD:

Sure, sure.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

That he will do the right thing.

CHUCK TODD:

And is the right thing what? Resign?

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

He will do the right thing in terms of what he knows about his situation. That he’s entitled to due process. But women are entitled to due process as well.

CHUCK TODD:

But he took advantage of a situation where he had a - the rules of Congress and I know you guys want to change these rules, but he got to hide his settlement, he got to - his accusers had to go through all sorts of craziness, so why is he entitled to new due process in this case?

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

No, I I - we are talking about what we have heard. I’ve asked the Ethics Committee to review that. He has said he’d be open - he will cooperate with any review.

CHUCK TODD:

Do you believe the accusers?

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

Excuse me?

CHUCK TODD:

Do you believe John Conyers’ accusers?

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

I don’t know who they are. Do you? They have not really come forward. And that gets to --

CHUCK TODD:

So you don’t know if you believe the accusations?

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

Well, that’s for the Ethics Committee to review. But I believe he understands what is at stake here and he will do the right thing. But all of these non-disclosure agreements have to go. By the way, some of them are there to protect the victim because they didn’t want some of it to be public. But that’s over. In other words, if the victim wants to be private, she can be -- he or she can be.

CHUCK TODD:

I guess it goes back to what is this line? What is a fireable offense? You say it’s zero tolerance.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

Yes.

CHUCK TODD:

But zero tolerance -- what does that mean if you’re saying John Conyers, who already had due process, gets to stay right now.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

As I said, we’ve asked for the Ethics Committee to review that. He, I believe, will do the right thing. It’s about going forward.

CHUCK TODD:

Where are you on Senator Franken?

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

Well, same thing. I don't think that you can equate Senator Franken with Roy Moore. It's two different things. So, you know, let's have some discernment.

CHUCK TODD:

So you would accept an apology right now from Al Franken if there's no other accusers, or if all we know are what we know?

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

Well, also, his accusers have to accept an apology. The victims have some say in all of this, as well. And that has happened in the past. People have accepted an apology, as is coming forth now that I see in the press. But we didn't know, because there was a nondisclosure agreement to protect the victim. Sometimes they didn't want to be public. Sometimes they did. So now they will have their choice.

But this is about going forward. And when we go forward, we will address all of that. But we also have to address it for every person, every workplace in the country, not just in the Congress of the United States. And that's very important. And a good deal of that would be done by the Judiciary Committee.

CHUCK TODD:

Okay.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

And I know that John would take that into consideration.

CHUCK TODD:

You have one member has already, Gregory Meeks has already called for him to be withdrawn as ranking member.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

No.

CHUCK TODD:

Isn't that something in your power? Can't you decide that he should be suspended on ranking member on Judiciary, of all committees for him to be ranking on?

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

You have to remember that this all happened during the Thanksgiving break. When we come together at the beginning of this week, I think John will do the right thing.

CHUCK TODD:

You're not going to unilaterally make this decision?

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

I'm not sharing that with you right now. But what I am saying is this is a big distraction, and it's very, very important. Do you know that the beginning of the Women's Movement, Elizabeth Cady Stanton lived in Seneca Falls. And she would hear down below examples of family domestic violence. And that was one of the motivators for her to advance the cause of women.

CHUCK TODD:

Right.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

So this is as old as-- well, it's old as civilization, probably.

CHUCK TODD:

Right.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

But in terms of our history, in terms of the women's movement, one of the motivators. Now, 100 years after her fight for the right of women to vote, we will clear the deck on this. But I am here to talk about something also transformative in our society, and that is this tax bill that the Republicans have put forth.

CHUCK TODD:

And I want to get into this. But there seems to be a bit of a political paralysis here. I'm trying to figure this out.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

That isn't. It isn't. We're moving. This week we will pass bipartisan legislation for mandatory anti-harassment, anti-discrimination behavior, A. B) we will then take the larger issue, which has to pass both houses of the Congress for ending the nondisclosure, ending of who pays, all of the concerns that we have about this.

But I don't think that it should-- I think that we want to give people hope. This is going to be addressed. Women have spoken out. Their concerns will be addressed in a way that I think will give comfort, as well as end this behavior.

CHUCK TODD:

All right.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

Because you know what? It's disgusting, it's repulsive, and it has to be zero tolerance.

CHUCK TODD:

Will you support Congress retroactively making public all of these private settlements that taxpayer dollars have been used?

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

Not necessarily. Sometimes the victim does not want that to happen.

CHUCK TODD:

But if the victim wants it public, will you side with the victim?

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

What I have-- yes. But what I--

CHUCK TODD:

100%?

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

Well, here's the thing. It's really important.

CHUCK TODD:

Okay.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

Because there is a question as to whether the Ethics Committee can get testimony if you have signed a nondisclosure agreement. We're saying we think the Ethics Committee can, but if you don't agree, we'll pass a law that says the Ethics Committee can, a resolution in Congress that the Ethics Committee can.

CHUCK TODD:

All right.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

But there's no-- I don't want anybody thinking there's any challenge here to our changing the law and see how people-- when we know more about the individual cases. Well, because you know what our biggest strength is? Due process that protects the rights of the victim, so that, whatever the outcome is, everybody knows that there was due process.

CHUCK TODD:

Leader Pelosi, unfortunately for time, I have to end it there. Appreciate your coming on.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

You mean we're not even going to talk about taxes?

CHUCK TODD:

I'm--

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

See, you have fallen into the place where they are doing something that's going to increase the debt enormously.

CHUCK TODD:

We're--

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

It's going to be a job killer.

CHUCK TODD:

I've been covering it a lot.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

A job killer.

CHUCK TODD:

Just finish this thought.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

And it's going to raise taxes on the middle class. And that has a big impact on individual lives of all Americans. And really, we should be spending more time on that.

CHUCK TODD:

Do you think this other issue isn't as serious as taxes?

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

I think it's eno-- look, as a woman, mother of four daughters, I think it's enormously important. But I think that we have to have a balance in how we go forward. Because this is giving the--

CHUCK TODD:

I struggle with this myself every day.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

This is giving them cover.

CHUCK TODD:

Okay.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

There are so many reasons that we should be concerned about the Republican majority in Congress.

CHUCK TODD:

I am going to be asking a Republican across the aisle some of these questions in a few minutes. Anyway, Leader Pelosi, I have to leave it there.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

Yeah. Well, thank--

CHUCK TODD:

I appreciate it.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

Yeah. That's disappointing. But anyway.

CHUCK TODD:

I wish I had more time.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

Let me just say one more thing.

CHUCK TODD:

I'm always for more--

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

I have to say one more thing.

CHUCK TODD:

Go to my bosses, ask for two hours.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

I've got to thank--

CHUCK TODD:

I'll take it.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

--our firefighters and our first responders in California for what they did in the fires. Our Thanksgiving, we prayed for them as a blessing to us. And wishing their families the best.

CHUCK TODD:

A worthy last word. Thank you very much.

REP. NANCY PELOSI:

Thank you. Bye-bye.

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CONYERS Statement On Stepping Aside As Judicary Ranking Member

Detroit, MI – Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) today released the following statement:

Dean of the U.S. House
of Representatives
John Conyers, Jr.

“After careful consideration and in light of the attention drawn by recent allegations made against me, I have notified the Democratic Leader of my request to step aside as Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee during the investigation of these matters.

“I deny these allegations, many of which were raised by documents reportedly paid for by a partisan alt-right blogger. I very much look forward to vindicating myself and my family before the House Committee on Ethics.

“To be clear, I would like very much to remain as Ranking Member. There is still much work to be done on core concerns like securing civil rights, enacting meaningful criminal justice reform, and protecting access to the ballot box. These challenges could not be more pressing in the face of an Administration that cares little for the rule of law and a President whose actions and conduct cheapens our discourse every day.

“But I have come to believe that my presence as Ranking Member on the Committee would not serve these efforts while the Ethics Committee investigation is pending. I cannot in good conscience allow these charges to undermine my colleagues in the Democratic Caucus, and my friends on both sides of the aisle in the Judiciary Committee and the House of Representatives.

“I am proud and fortunate to be part of a legacy of more than 50 years of fighting for civil rights and making our country more equitable and just. I will never allow that legacy – a legacy I owe to my father   John Conyers, Sr., who integrated labor unions, or my two amazing sons John III and Carl and my loving wife Monica, and the extraordinary people of Detroit – to be cast aside, or these causes to be in any way diminished.

“I am grateful to my colleagues who have called for due process before weighing judgment. I would urge them to continue to do so for any Member accused of wrongdoing. Basic fairness requires no less.”

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Kathleen Rice Challenges Trey Gowdy To An Ethical Showdown

Kathleen Rice challenging Trey Gowdy
to an authoritative duel in U.S. House Ethics Committee

I do not like Meanies.

Kathleen Rice is acting like she has been officially annointed to represent the Meanies.

(Saddy face.)

Kathleen Rice attacked the U.S. House Ethics Committee members.

That was not just political, that was really mean.

Trey Gowdy just so happens to be one of the senior members of that committee.

I just so happen to love me some Trey.

Now, the Lady comes, hitherto, in a visually, nervous lust of power to accuse U.S. Representative Trey Gowdy of besmirching his ethical profession as a representative of law, in public testimony on CNN, which crosses multiple jurisdicitonal regions, even bodies of water, in the capacity of a representative of The United States, via internet and airwaves, archived in the Library of Congress, to call out the gentleman's decision making authority to be artificial, and thereof, his decisions, and, the decisions of the body to be arbitrary and capricious?

Daaaaaaaaammmnn, you got some hutzpah, gurl.

And something tells me you are neither very sophisticated in the history of the Ethics Committee nor its authority.

You must be under pressure about something.

Emails?

Real Estate acquisitions?

Child welfare?

FARA?

FEC?

Gurl, you know I know, you know, and probably, so does Trey.

Rep. Kathleen Rice: Ethics committee's accountability 'not real'

Rice's comments come on the tail of a growing list of members of Congress who have been named for sexual harassment, including Conyers and Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota.

Female lawmakers, staffers and interns have told CNN that there is a pervasive atmosphere of sexual harassment on Capitol Hill. Earlier this month, Reps. Jackie Speier, a California Democrat, and Barbara Comstock, a Virginia Republican, accused unnamed sitting male lawmakers of sexual harassment and misconduct, including an allegation that a male lawmaker exposed his genitals to a female staffer.

She went on to say that many of the accusations against members of Congress, like Democratic Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, who she has called on to resign, may not pass beyond a reasonable doubt and therefore may never be fairly adjudicated.

"We don't have a legal standard here. We're talking about the court of public opinion. We're talking about holding men accountable for their actions," Rice said. "And a lot of these men, against whom these allegations have been made, are never going to face their day in court. The victims in these cases are never going to have their day in court."

Washington (CNN) Rep. Kathleen Rice said that the congressional ethics committees being proposed as a way to investigate serial sexual assault offenders on Capitol Hill are "not real" and "not accountable."

Speaking on CNN's "New Day" Friday, Rice, a Democrat and former prosecutor, said that the ethics committee will not offer a level of true accountability to offenders.

"Saying that we're going to have these allegations against politicians go before an ethics committee that can sometimes take a couple of years, no offense to my colleagues who are on the ethics committee, that's not real. That's not real. And that's not accountability," Rice said.

Rice said that the main pitfall of the committees is it asks colleagues to judge colleagues.

"The way the system works is it is does not benefit -- there's no benefit to a woman who comes out and says, 'I'm being harassed.' There are only professional consequences," said Rice.

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CONYERS Attorney Arnold Reed States There Is No Resignation

Think once.

Think twice.

Think again.

It is not what you think.

Conyers not resigning over claims, says attorney

A lawyer for U.S. Rep. John Conyers said late Wednesday the Detroit Democrat will not resign amid an ethics probe into allegations of sexual harassment and a settlement with a former staffer.

Attorney Harold Reed, who is representing the 88-year-old lawmaker and longest-serving active member in the U.S. House, said Conyers takes the allegations “very seriously.”

However, “at this juncture, the congressman is not resigning over these allegations. They’re allegations, No. 1. And No. 2, if everybody was called upon to resign over allegations, half the House, half the Senate, including the president of the United States, would have to step down.”

“John Conyers wants individuals to know that he continues to serve and will continue to serve to the best of his ability.”

Accusations against Conyers first surfaced Monday when Buzzfeed News reported on a 2015 settlement he reached with a former staffer. On Tuesday, the site reported on a sexual harassment lawsuit a former staffer withdrew after a federal judge refused her request to seal the records to protect the congressman’s public reputation.

Conyers’ attorney also dismissed a Washington Post report Wednesday that another woman, Melanie Sloan, whom Conyers hired in 1995 as minority counsel to the House Judiciary Committee, said the congressman did not sexually harass her but acted inappropriately and abusively.

“There was nothing I could do to stop it,” Sloan said in a Post interview.

The report centered on Sloan, a high profile-lawyer and former executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

Reed questioned Sloan’s timing and said he doubted her claims.

“This is the most powerful woman arguably in Washington when it comes to this behavior,” Reed said, adding her allegation was “fundamentally incongruous with the truth. ... Stories like that cast a pall over women who have legitimate claims.”

While they have not called for Conyers to step down, several Democratic colleagues asked for the House Ethics Committee investigation and at least one has called on Conyers to relinquish his role as ranking member of the prestigious House Judiciary Committee.

U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-New York, said Wednesday it “would not be appropriate” for Conyers to remain in the powerful panel post given the ethics probe.

Conyers should “step down as the ranking member, with the opportunity if he defends himself and says and shows there is nothing there, that he could come back,” Meeks told CNN.

The ethics panel can examine “whether or not there’s a practice or pattern,” Meeks said, and additional considerations should be made when the committee completes its probe.

Meeks and Conyers are members of the Congressional Black Caucus, which Conyers helped found in 1971.

In a withdrawn lawsuit that surfaced Tuesday, a former staffer alleged repeated and escalating harassment by Conyers after she began working in his office as a scheduler in July 2015, saying she had been given extra responsibilities because of his “age and failing mental capacities.”

By the summer of 2016, Conyers was harassing her daily, she said in the complaint, accusing him of rubbing her shoulders, kissing her forehead and covering or attempting to hold her hand.

The Detroit News is not publishing the woman’s name due to the nature of her claims and decision to withdraw the suit. She did not return voicemails left on the phone number she listed in court records.

Buzzfeed previously published notarized affidavits from three other staffers dated 2014. The affidavits describe Conyers making advances toward female staffers that included requests for sexual favors, caressing their hands in a “sexually suggestive” way, and rubbing their legs and backs in an inappropriate manner while in the office or in public.

Conyers settled a complaint by one of the former staffers in 2015, denying her allegations but paying her through his Member’s Representational Allowance, a taxpayer-funded account that is supposed to be used for office operations.

Conyers put the former staffer back on his payroll in mid-2015, paying her $27,111.74 between June 16 and Sept. 15, according to salary data compiled by the website Legistorm.

Settlements for complaints filed with the Office of Compliance are typically approved by the Committee on House Administration. But former Rep. Candice Miller, a Harrison Township Republican who chaired the committee and now serves as Macomb County public works commissioner, said the Conyers’ settlement “did not come through the normal channels.”

“It never came through our committee,” Miller said. “He did it out of the normal channels. He paid for it through his budget.”

U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, a Florida Republican, said Wednesday he is preparing legislation to unseal congressional settlement records, bar use of taxpayer dollars to pay claims and prohibit members from using office budgets to camouflage payments, calling the latter “a Conyers rule.”

“Members of Congress cannot be allowed to use the American people’s money as a personal slushfund to cover wrongdoing,” DeSantis wrote on Twitter.

The House Ethics Committee said Tuesday it will probe allegations that Conyers sexually harassed his employees, discriminated against staffers based on age or used official resources for “impermissible” personal use.

Several Michigan Democrats had called for the House investigation, and Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Brandon Dillon called the allegations “incredibly serious and disheartening.”

Conyers confirmed Tuesday that his office reached a financial settlement with a former staffer but denied accusations of sexual misconduct.

“In this case, I expressly and vehemently denied the allegations made against me, and continue to do so,” Conyers said in a statement.

His office settled the complaint “in order to save all involved from the rigors of protracted litigation,” he said, calling the $27,111.74 expense “an amount that equated to a reasonable severance payment.”

Asked about the 2017 lawsuit filed by his former scheduler, a Conyers spokeswoman simply noted the accuser “voluntarily decided to drop the case.”

The withdrawn complaint alleges a long-running series of inappropriate actions by Conyers, including harassment during a car ride to and at a White House event in April 2016. The woman said he urged her to “come home with him” and continued “to touch her against her wishes the entire evening.”

In one instance, the woman said, she was able to use a camera phone on her office desk “to catch some of these events on tape.”

The woman had asked the court to seal her complaint “to protect the reputation of the high profile person” she was suing. She withdrew the suit after Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly refused her request to shield court records from the public.

In her initial complaint, the woman said she had “extreme admiration and respect” for Conyers’ legislative work “as a Civil Rights icon.”

Separate records identify the woman as a possible relative of Cynthia Martin, Conyers’ former chief of staff whose tenure ended in controversy. The News was not able to reach either woman to discuss their connection.

The House Ethics Committee is already investigating whether Conyers authorized Martin to be paid for four months in 2016 — from April 20 to Aug. 25 — when she may not have done any official work.

Martin had pleaded guilty in April 2016 to a misdemeanor charge of receiving stolen property after initially refusing to return $16,500 mistakenly transferred into her Congressional Federal Credit Union bank account. Martin agreed to pay $13,000 restitution, according to court records.

The withdrawn complaint from Conyers’ former scheduler alleged sexual harassment, a hostile work environment, retaliation and wrongful termination, and reckless infliction of emotional distress.

The woman claimed Conyers’ wife, former Detroit City Council President Monica Conyers, called her a “whore” when she was hired and pushed staff to fire the woman after she did not provide a medical certificate when requesting medical leave in July of 2016.

The complaint referred to Monica Conyers as a “known brawler” and said the staffer felt threatened anytime the congresswoman’s wife was in Washington D.C. The woman allegedly told a colleague the situation was a “time bomb waiting to happen.”

Monica Conyers, who spent time in federal prison for bribery, filed for divorce in late 2015. The complaint suggests the congressman’s decision to hire the scheduler was a “partial cause.” John and Monica Conyers later reconciled and remain married.

The woman who filed the complaint said she has known Conyers since 2006. She previously worked in his campaign office, traveled with him to campaign events and worked as a House Judiciary staffer at his “behest” from 1997 to 1998.

She said Conyers did not “make an inappropriate advances or touch” her inappropriately until she worked in his office.

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U.S. Representatives Kathleen Rice & Mike Quigley Call On Conyers To Resign

Conyers, 88, in 2015 settled a wrongful dismissal complaint with a female staffer who claimed he fired her for rejecting his sexual advances, BuzzFeed News reported Monday night. The report also contained sworn testimony from three other former Conyers staffers detailing similar accusations.

U.S. Representative Gregory Meeks Calls For Conyers To Step Down From Judiciary

Gregory, my dear, did Lil' Miss Nancy and her minions get to you?

Does Imran have other things on you?

Are you wearing an orthopedic boot, yet?

You must be scared.

Are you going to retain Perkins Coie?

Oh Gregory!

You are so correct.

Anyone who has ever touched Mr. Conyers should be intensely investigated, and I mean everyone.

If anyone wishes to find out if they have already been put under Alice's looking glass, you can just enter your name in a basic google search, along with my name, or go to the "Go Find It" widget, in the right sidebar.  ===>

In the spirit of fuchsia, I must note that CNN failed to provide any investigative research into the credibility of U.S. Representative Gregory Meeks, which is why I have provided the gentlman's ethical background from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

And as for the Congressional Black Caucus, well, just be patient.  Your time is coming.

Congressional Black Caucus member: Conyers should step down as top Dem on House panel

Washington (CNN)Rep. Gregory Meeks, a New York Democrat and a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, said Wednesday that his colleague Rep. John Conyers of Michigan should leave his post as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee as he is the subject of a House Ethics Committee investigation.

"No one is exempt from bad behavior, and I think that he's agreed and I clearly see where Leader (Nancy) Pelosi has said there will be an immediate ethics committee, a review," Meeks told CNN's John Berman and Poppy Harlow. "I really think that probably the appropriate thing right now is that he should step down as the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee and be subject to this ethics investigation."

Getting rid of John Conyers won't be easy

The House Ethics Committee announced on Tuesday that it had opened an investigation into allegations that Conyers, the longest-serving active member of the House, settled a wrongful dismissal complaint in 2015 after allegedly sexually harassing a staffer, according to an explosive report published by BuzzFeed News.

Conyers said he is "expressly and vehemently" denying any wrongdoing.

"In our country, we strive to honor this fundamental principle that all are entitled to due process," Conyers said in a statement. "In this case, I expressly and vehemently denied the allegations made against me, and continue to do so."

Pressed later in the interview, Meeks said that it would "not be appropriate" for Conyers to remain the top Democrat on the committee given the multiple allegations against him.

"If he defends himself and says and shows there is nothing there, then he could come back," he said. "But you can't, in my estimation, just in the scenario that we're in to be the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee at this time. I think that he should step down."

Reports of another allegation that Conyers had sexually harassed a former staffer emerged Tuesday, based on court documents filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in March 2017. The lawsuit, which the woman later dropped after an unsuccessful attempt to seal it, was first reported by BuzzFeed News.

Meeks' call for Conyers to step down from his committee post goes farther than members of House Democratic Leadership, who have not, so far, called for Meeks to abandon that role.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday that "any credible allegation of sexual harassment must be investigated by the Ethics Committee." Similarly, Rep. Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, called the report "very disturbing" and said that an ethics investigation is an "appropriate next step."

Both Pelosi and Hoyer have also called for more sweeping reforms to overhaul the way in which sexual harassment is handled on the Hill, and support legislation sponsored by California Rep. Jackie Speier targeting the issue.

Neither Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York nor Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, two senior Democrats who also serve on the Judiciary Committee, have called on Conyers to leave his leadership position.

Asked Tuesday, Nadler said it was important to have a "proper investigation" into the allegations surrounding Conyers. In an interview on CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront," he stopped short of calling on Conyers to resign and said to wait for more facts as the ethics probe unfolds.

"I think it's a little too early to say that," Nadler said of resignation. "Wait a little while before you make that conclusion."

Gregory Meeks (D-NY) - CREW's Most Corrupt Members of Congress by CREW on Scribd

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Another Conyers Accusation: Detroit Politics Will Do That To You

Detroit politics will do that to you.

Woman says she was called 'mentally unstable' after accusing Rep. John Conyers

For the first time, a former staff member of Democratic Rep. John Conyers Jr. of Michigan has publicly come forward to allege that the top lawmaker contributed to a hostile work environment, according to a Washington Post report published Wednesday.

 Melanie Sloan, who served with Conyers from 1995 to 1998, alleged in the report that she was verbally abused by Conyers, who is now the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee.

Within this time, Sloan said that she saw and experienced similar claims that were made public in recent days, after allegations of sexual misconduct began to emerge.

 Sloan alleged that Conyers yelled at her and was critical of her appearance, according to The Post.

She also said that at one point, she saw him in his underwear after she was summoned to his office, but said she did not believe she was sexually harassed.

"I was pretty taken aback to see my boss half-dressed," Sloan said told The Post.

"I turned on my heel and I left."

Sloan said she repeatedly sought help from her supervisors, but was ignored, according to the newspaper.

 "There was nothing I could do to stop it," she said.

"I was dismissed and told I must be mentally unstable."

 Conyers' attorney denied Sloan's allegations and told The Post that Conyers "has never done anything inappropriate to Melanie Sloan."

 The House Ethics Committee launched an investigation Tuesday, following a BuzzFeed News report that said Conyers had settled a wrongful dismissal complaint with a former employee who alleged she was fired for refusing his "sexual advances."

 Other reports soon emerged, including one employee who alleged Conyers had made inappropriate contact, such as "rubbing on her shoulders, kissing her forehead, making inappropriate comments, covering and attempting to hold her hand," the Post said.

Conyers reportedly denied settling the sexual harassment cases, but later confirmed he had, adding that he still "vehemently denied the allegations."

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Detroit Free Press Wants Conyers To Resign

When are those damn indictments coming down?

I truly wish these so-called editorial staffers would put their name on what they publish, unless it is Nolan Finley.

Nolan is scared of me for some reason.

I am only preserving the annals of history.

Someone has to do it because the Free Press is not.

Hurry up and pop your popcorn, this is about to be off the chain!!!!!

Editorial: U.S Rep. John Conyers must resign

His documented use of taxpayer dollars to bury allegations of sexual harassment goes too far.

John Conyers Jr. has a long and complicated legacy in southeast Michigan and the U.S. Congress. 

He has been an undisputed hero of the civil rights movement, a legislator of uncommon influence and power, and an aging icon whose felonious wife and sometimes-wandering pace have confounded his place in history.

But the revelations of Conyers’ alleged sexual harassment scandal and his documented use of taxpayer dollars to bury that scandal, in violation of congressional ethics rules, is less ambiguous.

It is the kind of behavior that can never be tolerated in a public official, much less an elected representative of the people.

And it means that whatever Conyers’ legacy will eventually be, his tenure as a member of Congress must end — now.

He should resign his position and allow the investigation into his behavior to unfold without the threat that it would render him, and the people he now represents, effectively voiceless.

A voice for equality

We reach this conclusion with an incredible amount of disappointment.

The word “hero” is invoked, without much hyperbole, around Conyers’ name, dating not only to his initial run for Congress in the mid-1960s, but to the stalwart civil rights activism in the 1950s and early 1960s that brought him to that point.

His career in Congress saw him play key roles in everything from voting rights and health care reform to the creation of the Martin Luther King Holiday. And even in recent years, when he has struggled with focus and the rigor of the job, he has remained a steadfast voice for social justice and equality. 

A problem in Congress

But even the most generous interpretation of the story revealed early this week is absolutely devastating to his ability to stay in Congress.

Monday night, the news site BuzzFeed reported a former Conyers staffer’s claims that she was fired after she rebuffed the congressman’s persistent sexual advances.

Those claims were made in sworn affidavits by the alleged victim and three other former staffers, all obtained by BuzzFeed.

In the current climate of revelations about powerful men abusing their positions and committing horrific acts of harassment, abuse or assault on women, those allegations should be enough to spur a dedicated congressional inquiry. Without a doubt, Congress has a real problem, and one that the American people deserve to see resolved. 

A dishonest arrangement

But Conyers’ situation gets worse — far, far worse.

After the alleged victim made a formal complaint through the U.S. Congress Office of Compliance, Conyers’ office endorsed an alternative route. If the woman dropped her complaint and signed a legal document attesting that Conyers had done no wrong, and if she agreed never to disparage him or make subsequent claims, she’d be re-hired as a temporary “no-show” employee and paid $27,111.75 over the course of three months. She accepted the terms.

Conyers’ office defended the arrangement Tuesday as a means to avoid "protracted litigation" and defended the sum as a “reasonable severance payment.” Conyers also continues to deny the woman’s claims.

But the House’s ethics rules are clear: A House member can’t retain an employee who isn’t performing work commensurate with the pay, and regardless, can’t give back pay for work that stretches further than a month.

It’s a rule Conyers has flouted before.

He continues to battle an ethics complaint alleging that he violated House rules by keeping a former chief of staff on payroll after she was fired; Conyers' lawyers contend that the representative's office has the right to pay severance to its employees at will. Nor is Conyers the only member of Congress who has  come under fire for paying what they've described as severance.

What makes this payment different? It looks an awful lot like hush money.

Litigation, contrary to Conyers' statement, wasn't a certain outcome. The staffer's complaint was made through the U.S. Congress Office of Compliance, a secretive body that settles, for congressional employees, the kind of employment law violations that other businesses might hash out in court.

Employees who bring claims through the compliance office are required to sign confidentiality agreements in order for a claim to proceed, a process that seems calculated to preclude the public accounting taxpayers, and voters, are owed. There's a special congressional office that works to resolve claims out of court. An employee determined to file a lawsuit has to go through months of counseling and mediation.

Over the last two decades, the office has paid $17 million to settle 264 complaints. Legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, Democrat of California, would require the office to change its operations, including naming each member who is involved in a claim.

That’s a reform worth pursuing.

But it’s also not the point with Conyers.

This agreement disrupted the accepted process to deal with claims against members of Congress, and leveraged taxpayer funds — without the oversight of the ethics apparatus of the body itself — to make this claim go away.

That’s not acceptable, on any level.

And it’s a betrayal that breaches the most fundamental trust that exists between a public servant and the people that person represents.

Even if Conyers could prove that he did not make inappropriate advances toward his former staffer, there’s no defense for having used dollars from his congressional office to “settle” a claim. That sort of thing happens in the private sector, yes. It should never, ever happen where public dollars (and public accountability) are concerned.

It’s impossible to know how frequently this happens in Congress. Conyers’ spokesperson said the House General Counsel’s office signed off on the agreement. But even if this deceptive practice has become commonplace, the Dean of the House should know better. 

 A public betrayal

John Conyers Jr. must go — after 53 years in Congress, after a stellar career of fighting for equality, after contributing so much to southeast Michigan and the nation.

It’s a tragic end to his public career. But it’s the appropriate consequence for the stunning subterfuge his office has indulged here, and a needed warning to other members of Congress that this can never be tolerated. 

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