A little too late, Nancy! Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has finally called for disgraced Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) to resign due to several sexual misconduct claims. What a quick 180 considering on Meet The Press on Sunday she defended Conyers and implied she didn’t believe the victims.
Politico has reported that Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) has also said that Conyers needs to step down, just days after he lashed out at the victims.
This news comes after Conyers’ family revealed he is in the hospital for a stress-related illness. The family spokesman lashed out at Conyers’ victims along with other women who have used the #MeToo hashtag to tell their stories of assault.
Remember on Sunday that Pelosi revealed herself as a faux feminist who puts party and power above anything else, including those she claims she fights for. She refused to call for Conyers resignation and chose to gush about him to Chuck Todd, calling him an icon and insisted he has done so much to protect women!
Then a few hours later she struck a somewhat different tone on Twitter when Conyers decided to step down as ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, but still refused to call for him to resign:
But now that Conyers is in the hospital, Pelosi has called for his resignation. From Bloomberg:
“The allegations against Congressman Conyers, as we have learned more since Sunday, are serious, disappointing and very credible,’’ Pelosi of California told reporters Thursday. “It’s very sad. The brave women who came forward are owed justice. I pray for Congressman Conyers and his family; however, Congressman Conyers should resign.”
AS WE HAVE LEARNED SINCE SUNDAY? Oh, Nancy. Darling. Nice way to try to protect yourself. The BuzzFeed report was bad enough, but there have been others before Sunday! As you all know, in the BuzzFeed report, Conyers settled a wrongful dismissal claim in 2015 after a former female employee accused him of firing her for not giving into his sexual advances. The report also included claims from employees that they flew in his mistresses on taxpayer dollars. Others spoke of harassment and one male employee witnessed inappropriate touching.
A few days later, lawyer Melanie Sloan said that Conyers verbally abused her when she worked as a Democratic counsel for the House Judiciary Committee in the 1990s. She also said he showed up to a meeting with her in his underwear.
SINCE SUNDAY, ex-staffer Deanna Maher said that when she worked for Conyers, “he made unwanted sexual advances towards her, including inappropriate touching.”
As mentioned above, Clyburn has also demanded Conyers step down. Just yesterday, though, Clyburn doubted the victims simply because they are white:
Clyburn tried to prove Draper wrong by saying that the discussion had nothing to do with Conyers, but as Draper point out it had everything to do with Conyers. Clyburn also told the media on Wednesday “that lawmakers should face a different standard of judgement than film artists and journalists.”
Conyers’ lawyer Arnold Reed addressed Pelosi’s remarks at a press conference, insisting that the decision is not up to her on whether Conyers leaves or not. From CBS News:
“Nancy Pelosi did not elect the congressman, and she sure as hell won’t be the one to tell the congressman to leave,” Conyers lawyer Arnold Reed told reporters in a press conference in Detroit Thursday.”He is not going to be pressured by Nancy Pelosi or anyone else to step down,” Reed said.Reed said the decision is Conyers’ and Conyers’ alone, and health will be the only factor that determines whether he continues to serve.
The news of Conyers’ hospitalization came after a former employee told the Today show about the sexual harassment she endured from the lawmaker. From The Associated Press:
A woman who alleges she was fired because she rejected Congressman John Conyers’ sexual advances has told NBC’s “Today” show that the longest-serving member of the U.S. House subjected her to years of sexual harassment.Marion Brown said Thursday that the Democrat propositioned her for sex multiple times over more than a decade. She says she stayed on the job because she needed to support her family and found the work rewarding.The Associated Press left messages Thursday seeking comment from Conyers’ lawyer, who has said the 88-year-old will fight the misconduct allegations.
Attorney Lisa Bloom confirmed to the AP that Brown is the former employee in the BuzzFeed report. From Click on Detroit:
“Some of the things that he did, it was sexual harassment,” she said. “Violating my body, propositioning me, inviting me to hotels with the guise of discussing business, and then propositioning for sex. He just violated my body. He has touched me in different ways, and it was very uncomfortable and very unprofessional.”
Disgraced Rep. John Conyers (R-MI), 88, is currently in a hospital due to a stress-related illness. Family spokesman Sam Riddle refused to provide details about the illness. From Click on Detroit:
“I just spoke with Monica Conyers on the phone and we want you to know that the congressman is resting comfortably in an area hospital. He’s doing OK, as well as he can be expected for a gentleman that’s approaching 90 years of age,” Riddle said. “The congressman’s health is not what it should be and lot of that is directly attributable to this media assault.”
CBS Detroit reported that Riddle asked that everyone”pray for this congressman that has done so much for this nation.”
Conyers is the longest serving member in the House and a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus. He gained fame in the civil rights movement and was friends with Martin Luther King, Jr.
However, his reputation has taken a hit lately after BuzzFeed published a report how he settled a wrongful dismissal claim. A former female employee claimed he fired her when she refused his sexual advances.
Other accusations have surfaced, too. Riddle brushed off these women along with other women who have used the #MeToo hashtag to tell their stories of abuse:
“These serial accusers are being given way too much credibility because (hashtag) #metoo is trending. The Congressman’s contributions to the nation go far beyond any hashtags that are trending right now,” he said. “We’ve dealt with these serial accusers before. Their names are not new to the Congressman or his family.”
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