Patrick Meehan was a Congressman from Pennsylvania. He was accused by a former staffer of making unwanted romantic advances. He made a settlement with her and paid her $39,000 from his Congressional Office Fund. This all came to light while he was on the Ethics Committee gleefully investigating others for sexual harassment. Speaker Paul Ryan removed him from the Ethics Committee, he repaid the taxpayer money he used to pay off the woman, and eventually resigned in order to stop the Ethics investigation, claiming it was a distraction.
He defended himself by saying he became infatuated with the woman he harassed, calling her his soulmate, but swore he did nothing wrong, not even understanding that he put her in an impossible position for work.
- The Guardian: Republican axed from ethics committee after report on alleged sexual misconduct
- Philadelphia Inquirer: Rep. Patrick Meehan faces political storm after report of sexual harassment by former aide
- BBC: Patrick Meehan resigns from House over sexual harassment case
22 Jan 2018