House Passes Resolution to Release Taxpayer-Funded Sexual Harassment Settlement Records

The House adopted Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-KY) privileged resolution by a 420-0-1 vote. It orders the House Ethics Committee and the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights (OCWR) to publish a single list of every member, delegate or resident commissioner investigated for sexual harassment or abuse that led to a monetary settlement, including total taxpayer amount.

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The 1995 Congressional Accountability Act created a fund for harassment settlements involving lawmakers. In 2018, after the #MeToo movement, Congress amended the law to end taxpayer financing of such settlements, requiring members to pay personally. The Committee reports no post-reform notifications of awards or settlements tied to sexual-harassment allegations.

• Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) – sponsor, says reporting rules may still hide settlements.

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• Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) – subpoenaed OCWR, released files, voted “present,” called the measure “political theater.”

• OCWR – provides settlement data; notes pre-2004 records were destroyed.

• House Ethics Committee – tasked with preserving and releasing the list; has received no post-2018 settlement notifications.

The Hill

Mace’s subpoena revealed taxpayers paid $300,000-$500,000 to settle claims involving former members. Reports cite six or seven individuals, such as Alcee Hastings, Eric Massa, John Conyers, Blake Farenthold, Patrick Meehan, Rodney Alexander and Carolyn McCarthy. One file on Hastings’ settlement was omitted.

The Committee reiterated that it has not received any notifications of awards or settlements related to sexual-harassment allegations against members since the 2018 reforms. OCWR confirmed pre-2004 case files were destroyed, limiting the record. The resolution requires the list be released within two legislative days.

The Hill

Rep. Mace argued the vote repeats work already done, calling it “political theater,” and questioned whether additional settlements remain undisclosed. No lawmaker opposed the resolution.

Fox News (website)

• Settlement totals: sources list $300k-$500k, or over half-million.

• Former members: six vs. seven named.

• Record completeness: pre-2004 files destroyed, creating a gap.

• “If somebody thinks what I’m doing is redundant, then it’s an easy yes vote,” — Rep. Thomas Massie, R-KY

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• “I already did this,” — Rep. Nancy Mace, R-SC

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• “Congress has spent decades hiding this from the American people, and enough is enough.” — Rep. Nancy Mace, R-SC

The Hill

• “the Committee has not been notified of any awards or settlements relating to allegations of sexual harassment by a member.” — House Ethics Committee statement

CNN

The Ethics Committee must compile and publish the list within the two-day window. The House will enter a July 4 recess immediately after the vote, postponing further action until members reconvene. Oversight will assess whether the data reveals additional settlements and address remaining transparency gaps.

The Hill