Detroit News: A former staffer of U.S. Rep. John Conyers said the veteran lawmaker made unwanted sexual advances toward her, including inappropriate touching, adding to allegations by other unnamed former employees that have prompted a congressional investigation.
Deanna Maher, who worked for him from 1997 to 2005, told The Detroit News that the Detroit Democrat made unwanted advances toward her three times.
Maher is the second former Conyers staffer to go public with accusations about the veteran lawmaker. Conyers on Sunday stepped aside as the the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee amid a congressional ethics probe of sexual harassment allegations involving former staffers.
The first instance of harassment happened, Maher said, shortly after the congressman hired her in September 1997 during an event with the Congressional Black Caucus.
“I didn’t have a room, and he had me put in his hotel suite,” said Maher, 77, adding that she rejected his offer to share his room at the Grand Hyatt in Washington and have sex.
The other incidents with the now 88-year-old Conyers involved unwanted touching in a car in 1998 and another unwanted touching of her legs under her dress in 1999, she said.
Conyers’ attorney Arnold Reed questioned why Maher would continue to work for Conyers for so many years after the alleged incidents. He also said Maher’s allegations are uncorroborated and that his client denies wrongdoing.
“At the end of the day, he’s confident that he will be exonerated because he maintains that he has not done anything wrong,” Reed said.
Maher said her need for employment explains why she stayed on the job.
“I needed to earn a living, and I was 57. How many people are going to hire you at that age?” she said. more here
But wait! There’s more!
The Daily Caller reports that yet another alleged Conyers victim, represented by Lisa [Gloria Allred’s kid] Bloom, said this:
“One of my duties while working for Rep. Conyers was to keep a list of women that I assumed he was having affairs with and call them at his request and, if necessary, have them flown in using Congressional resources,” one affidavit states. Another staffer told BuzzFeed that Conyers, who is the longest-serving congressman, used taxpayer funds to fly women into see him.
He acts like he did nothing wrong, except use taxpayers funds to pay these women, Fly them to DC, again at taxpayer expense. The taxpayers never authorized him to do any of this.
There should also be a criminal investigation for fraud, withholding material facts, misappropriation of taxpayer funds, etc.
That’s nothing wrong for a Democrat. They had JFK and his brother (Ted) to set examples.
But, but, but—-he’s an icon!
Representative Conyers, RESIGN.
Seriously, is ANYONE surprised at this?