John Conyers Confirms Sexual-Harassment Settlement, Retracts Earlier Statement

Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) confirmed Tuesday that he had paid out a settlement after BuzzFeed News reported that his office paid a woman more than $27,000 as part of a confidentiality agreement related to sexual-harassment complaints. The confirmation retracts an earlier statement he made to the AP denying such a settlement and claiming he was surprised by the accusations. “I expressly and vehemently denied the allegations made against me, and continue to do so,” he said. “My office resolved the allegations– with an express denial of liability– in order to save all involved from the rigors of protracted litigation. That should not be lost in the narrative. The resolution was not for millions of dollars, but rather for an amount that equated to a reasonable severance payment.” The long-time congressman also stated that he would cooperate with a House investigation.