Taxpayers Have Coughed Up $550,000 in Sexual Harassment Settlements for Members of Congress, CNN Reports

"Taxpayers have coughed up more than half a million dollars in confidential sexual harassment settlements involving members of Congress, a number previously reported to be much lower. CNN's Annie Grayer laid out the details in a Thursday report for the network, citing documents from the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights. It was previously known that more than $300,000 had been paid to settle lawsuits involving members of Congress, but now documents show that a $220,0000 payment made on behalf of a lawmaker was initially missed."

"The $220,000 settlement involved the now-deceased Alcee Hastings, a congressman from the state of Florida. In its initial production to Congress, the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights had missed a $220,0000 payment on behalf of former Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings, who died in 2021. The payment marks the single biggest congressional sexual harassment settlement known to date and nearly doubles the tax-payer funded total for such cases disclosed last week."

"Hastings previously called the allegations ludicrous,' Grayer reported. The reporter later joined Kate Bolduan on air to further detail the new documents and Hastings's accuser, who felt the system she was in at the time was designed to benefit members of Congress rather than legitimately tackle complaints. The employee, whose name was redacted in files, filed harassment complaints in 2010 and a settlement was paid out in 2014."

"The mediator's attempt to define for me what is in my best interest' before I have had the opportunity to meet with the court-appointed attorney completely oversteps the boundaries of her responsibilities and demonstrates a clear disregard of my rights to counsel, the accuser wrote in a 2013 letter. I spoke to the woman who brought forward these allegations, and she talked about just how difficult her life has been since she made this settlement and even mentioned that even though that $220,000 is what the settlement agreement is for that actually after"

More than half a million dollars in confidential sexual harassment settlements involving members of Congress has been paid using taxpayer funds, with newly disclosed documents showing a higher total than previously reported. Records from the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights indicate that a $220,000 payment on behalf of former Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings, who died in 2021, was initially missed. The $220,000 settlement is described as the single biggest congressional sexual harassment settlement known to date and nearly doubles the previously disclosed taxpayer-funded total. The accuser filed harassment complaints in 2010 and received a settlement paid in 2014. A 2013 letter from the accuser criticizes a mediator’s attempt to define the accuser’s best interests before meeting with a court-appointed attorney.

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