Since 1997, Congress’ Office of Compliance has paid more than $17 million for 264 settlements and awards to federal employees for violations of various employment rules including, The Washington Post reported last month, sexual harassment. 2021 Election: Complete coverage and analysis
Full Answer
How much have taxpayers paid to settle sexual harassment claims against Congress?
Nearly $300,000 in taxpayer funds has been spent to settle 13 claims against members of Congress or their offices since 2003. The most recent total is significantly smaller than totals for later years: From 2008-2012, the Treasury Fund paid more than $174,000 to settle eight cases that involved either sexual harassment, sex discrimination or both.
How many harassment claims settle after mediation?
However, even knowing that dollar figure doesn’t quantify the problem: a source within the Office of Compliance tells CNN that between 40 and 50% of harassment claims settle after mediation – an early stage in the multi-tiered reporting process.
How does the Office of compliance deal with sexual harassment cases?
The new statistics add to a running list of settlements released last month to the committee by the Office of Compliance, an office created under the 1995 Congressional Accountability Act to deal with employment disputes on Capitol Hill. The office oversees the process of filing sexual harassment or discrimination complaints.
Why is the Office of the OOC releasing more sexual harassment data?
That includes all settlements, not just related to sexual harassment, but also discrimination and other cases. An OOC spokeswoman said the office was releasing the extra data “due to the interest in the awards and settlement figures.”
How many of the settlements were sexual harassment-related?
It’s not clear. Speier told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday that the 260 settlements represent those related to all kinds of complaints, including sexual harassment as well as racial, religious or disability-related discrimination complaints. The OOC has not made public the breakdown of the settlements, and Speier says she’s pursuing other avenues to find out the total.
What do these settlements tell us about the scope of the sexual harassment problem on Capitol Hill?
However, even knowing that dollar figure doesn’t quantify the problem: a source within the Office of Compliance tells CNN that between 40 and 50% of harassment claims settle after mediation – an early stage in the multi-tiered reporting process.
Who knows about the settlements and payments?
After a settlement is reached, a payment must be approved by the chairman and ranking member of the House administration committee, an aide to Chairman Gregg Harper, a Mississippi Republican, told CNN.
Why are OOC statistics not broken down into specific claims?
In its latest disclosure, the OOC said that statistics on payments are “not further broken down into specific claims because settlements may involve cases that allege violations of more than one of the 13 statutes incorporated by the (Congressional Accountability Act).”
How much has Paul Ryan paid out in sexual harassment?
Here’s what we know – and what we don’t know – about that money: According to a report from the Office of Compliance, more than $17 million has been paid out in settlements over a period of 20 years – 1997 to 2017.
How much did Congress pay for settlements?
Story highlights. Between 1997 and 2017, Congress paid $17 million in settlements. The money comes from a fund set up to handle settlements within the US Treasury.
Is Ryan's office conducting a full review of workplace harassment and discrimination?
When asked about Ryan’s knowledge of any sexual harassment settlements, a spokesperson for Ryan’s office noted that the committee is conducting a full review of workplace harassment and discrimination.
How much money has Congress paid for sexual assaults?
Congress has a slush fund, made up of tax dollars, that is used to pay off & silence their alleged sexual assaults and affairs. To date, over 200 million dollars in 200 settlements have been paid since 1998.
Who is the former chairman of the Committee on House Administration?
In November 2017, Gregg Harper, former chairman of the Committee on House Administration, requested that the OOC provide statistics on settlements and awards involving House-led offices, including those relating to sexual harassment.
Did the DC list sexual harassment cases?
TheDC was given the same explanation as to why a separate compilation of settlements and awards involving Senate-led offices did not list any cases of sexual harassment.
Claim
At least 260 members of the U.S. Congress have settled sexual assault charges.
Origin
A number of members of the U.S. Congress have been accused of sexual misconduct over the years, but as a viral Facebook message suggests, have at least 260 of those members really settled sexual assault charges?
Why is the process of reporting workplace harassment and discrimination described as designed to protect harassers rather than the abused?
The current process through which an employee reports workplace harassment and discrimination has been described as designed to protect harassers rather than the abused, in part because it is shrouded in secrecy. The Congress has taken some steps to reform its approach to sexual harassment in the post-Weinstein era.
How much was the 2013 disability claim settled?
Other claims that were settled between FY 2013 and the present include an age discrimination claim that was settled for $76,000; a disability discrimination and retaliation claim that was settled for $37,250 ; a $5,200 settlement for alleged discrimination on the basis of race, national origin and military service; and a veteran status discrimination claim that was settled for $150,000.
Did John Conyers pay a settlement?
John Conyers also admitted to paying a settlement after a former staffer alleged she was fired because she turned down his sexual advances. In that case, which was first reported by BuzzFeed, the money came from Conyers’ office budget and not the Office of Compliance fund. The Committee on House Administration review comes amid a growing call ...
Did the Office of Compliance pay for Massa?
These details come just a day after ABC News reported that the Office of Compliance paid nearly $100,000 to settlement a sexual harassment claim made against former Democratic Rep. Eric Massa. Massa resigned amid an ethics investigation in 2010, so it is unlikely that his settlement was included in the data released on Friday. Rep. John Conyers also admitted to paying a settlement after a former staffer alleged she was fired because she turned down his sexual advances. In that case, which was first reported by BuzzFeed, the money came from Conyers’ office budget and not the Office of Compliance fund.
Who is the actor accused of sexual harassment?
WASHINGTON — The national conversation over sexual harassment that began with misconduct and assault accusations against Hollywood film maker Harvey Weinstein is reverberating throughout the U.S. Capitol as at least four sitting lawmakers stand accused of groping, harassment or other unwanted sexual behavior.
Did Conyers harass women?
Accusations from several other women followed, despite Conyers’ denial that he harassed anyone. At least six other women have claimed they either experienced or saw him touching and rubbing women in his office, making sexual advances toward them or making inappropriate remarks.
Is Conyers' allegations true?
Conyers continues to say the allegations against him are inaccurate. “They ’re not true and they’re something I can’t explain where they came from,” Conyers said on a recent Detroit radio show.
