Rep. Nancy Mace Secures Files From Taxpayer-Funded Sexual Harassment Slush Fund

Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R-SC) announced she has received files in response to her subpoena motion of Congress’s taxpayer-funded sexual harassment slush fund from the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights (OCWR).

The files reveal taxpayers have paid more than $300,000 in settlements paid on behalf of six former Members of the House of Representatives or their offices.

The subpoena motion, which passed the House Oversight Committee, demanded OCWR release all awards and settlements paid pursuant to Section 415 of the Congressional Accountability Act prior to December 12, 2018 for misconduct by Members of Congress. The only redactions permitted were those necessary to protect the personally identifiable information of victims and witnesses.

“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.”

The files confirm taxpayers footed the bill for settlements on behalf of the following Members:

• Rodney Alexander (2007): $15,000
• Carolyn McCarthy (2009): $8,000 (2 cases, 1 settlement)
• Eric Massa (2010): $115,000 (3 cases: $85,000 + $20,000 + $10,000)
• John Conyers (2010, 2014): $77,111.75 (settlement + severance)
• Blake Farenthold (2014): $84,000
• Patrick Meehan (2017): $39,250 (2 cases, 1 settlement, severance pay)

According to a letter sent to House Oversight Chair James Comer from OCWR’s General Counsel, between January 1, 1996 and December 12, 2018, there were 349 total awards or settlements against legislative branch offices. Of those, 80 were settled by a Member office of the House or Senate, 30 involved Members who were directly accused of misconduct or knowing of misconduct in their office, and 7 required payments from the Section 415 fund specifically for sexual harassment.

OCWR also confirmed case files prior to 2004, including 20 case files involving Members who were directly accused of misconduct or knowing of misconduct in their office were physically destroyed under a record retention policy established in 2013, requiring destruction ten years after a case closes, leaving taxpayers and victims to possibly never know the full scope of what was done to them.