US Democratic Representative John Conyers on Sunday stepped down as ranking Democrat on the House judiciary committee amid allegations he used taxpayers’ money to settle cases with women who accused him of sexual misconduct.
The news came shortly after House minority leader Nancy Pelosi was widely criticized for calling the 88-year-old an “icon” because of his work in the civil rights movement.
“John Conyers is an icon in our country,” she said. “He has done a great deal to protect women.”
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On NBC’s Meet the Press, Pelosi stopped short of calling for Conyers’ resignation from Congress. The Michigan representative would “do the right thing,” she said.
Conyers, who denies the allegations, said in a statement that he wanted to stay on the committee, but did not want to undermine his colleagues as he faces an ethics investigation.
“I very much look forward to vindicating myself and my family before the House committee on ethics,” Conyers said.
In a statement announcing Conyers’ decision, Pelosi said: “We must ensure the Congress has a climate of dignity and respect with zero tolerance for sexual harassment.”
Representative Jerrold Nadler, the second-ranking Democrat on the judiciary committee, said in a statement: “Mr Conyers has a 50-year legacy of advancing the cause of justice, and my job moving forward is to continue that critical work.”
Lisa Bloom, an attorney for a woman who filed a sexual harassment complaint against Conyers in 2014, said in a statement that her client was forced to sign a confidentiality agreement, which she asked Conyers and Congress to release.
“Basic fairness and decency dictate that if Mr Conyers can speak publicly about the matter, the woman should be free to do so as well,” Bloom said.
In their own statement, 12 women who worked for Conyers over 30 years said: “We do not condone or justify sexual harassment and believe the ongoing national debate is important. While we do not pass judgement 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.”
Conyers was “a gentleman and never behaved in a sexually inappropriate manner in our presence,” the women said. “He was respectful, valued our opinions, challenged our thinking and treated us as professionals.”
“We believe in due process and support allowing the ethics investigation to run its course,” the statement ended.
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