Days after US Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) stepped down as ranking member of House Judiciary Committee amid a congressional investigation, he released a statement via his attorney saying that he will announce his future in politics due to health concerns.
The move follows Nancy Pelosi and other high ranking Democrats and Republicans asking him to step down from recent allegations from former aides of sexual misconduct. Additionally, it came out that he misused office funds to pay for a monetary settlement from a complaint of a former female staffer.
Allegations against Conyers appears at a moment in public discourse that many women, and some men who work as subordinates for powerful males; have been subjected to sexual abuse from superiors.
The allegations stem from Hollywood to the White House. Roy Moore, Republican candidate for a Senate seat in Alabama special elections held on Dec. 12, stands accused of making multiple unwanted sexual advances on teenage girls when he was in his 30s. So much so, he was banned from a local mall.
For Conyers, people are puzzled that Pelosi, Minority Leader of the US House of Representatives, did not demand the resignation of Minnesota Sen. Al Franken, a Democrat who also faces allegations of sexual harassment for groping Army soldiers.
Conyers’ supporters in Detroit rallied longtime congressional official on Sunday saying that he “deserves due process.” He is the longest-serving member of Congress. If he leaves, his resignation will affect the small numbers of the members in the Congressional Black Caucus.
