Congresswoman Nancy Mace announced on May 5 that she has received files from the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights in response to her subpoena motion regarding Congress’s taxpayer-funded sexual harassment settlement fund.
The issue concerns transparency and accountability for how taxpayer money has been used to settle claims of misconduct by Members of Congress. The newly released documents show that over $300,000 was paid in settlements on behalf of six former House members or their offices.
The subpoena, approved by the House Oversight Committee, required the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights to disclose all awards and settlements made under Section 415 of the Congressional Accountability Act before December 12, 2018, related to misconduct by Members. Only redactions necessary to protect victims’ and witnesses’ identities were allowed. “Congress has spent decades hiding this from the American people, and enough is enough. Taxpayers didn’t sign up to foot the bill for cover-ups. They deserve to know their hard-earned dollars were used to cover up sexual harassment by their own elected officials,” said Congresswoman Mace. “We’ve been leading this charge from day one. The American people deserve to know who abused their position of power, how much it cost them, and why Congress worked so hard to make sure they never found out.”
According to details provided in a letter sent from the General Counsel at the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights to House Oversight Chair James Comer, between January 1, 1996 and December 12, 2018 there were a total of 349 awards or settlements against legislative branch offices; out of these cases, eighty involved Member offices in either chamber; thirty involved Members directly accused or aware of misconduct within their office; seven required payments specifically for sexual harassment through Section 415 funds.
The files also confirm that taxpayers paid settlement amounts on behalf of Rodney Alexander ($15,000), Carolyn McCarthy ($8,000), Eric Massa ($115,000), John Conyers ($77,111.75), Blake Farenthold ($84,000), and Patrick Meehan ($39,250). In addition,
the Office confirmed that case files prior to 2004—including twenty involving Members directly accused or aware—were destroyed under a records retention policy established in 2013 requiring destruction ten years after closure.
Nancy Mace is currently serving in U.S. Congress representing South Carolina’s First District after replacing Joe Cunningham in 2021,according to her official biography. She previously served in the South Carolina House from 2018-2020.according to Biographical Directory.
