Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., will not be resigning anytime soon despite increasing calls for him to step down by Democrats in Congress, according to his attorney Arnold Reed.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and other Democrats have now called on Conyers, the longest serving member of Congress, to resign after multiple women came forward to accuse the Michigan Democrat of sexual harassment. Conyers has denied all of the allegations.
“It’s not up to Nancy Pelosi,” Reed said at a press conference Thursday. “She sure as hell won’t be the one telling the congressman to leave.”
Conyers was hospitalized in Detroit Thursday morning for health issues that appeared to be related to stress caused by the sexual harassment allegations against him and mounting pressure for him to resign. Reed said Conyers is experiencing “dizziness” and “shortness of breath.”
“I would suspect that Nancy Pelosi is going to have to explain what is the discernible difference between Al Franken and John Conyers,” Reed said, referring to the senator who has been accused of sexual harassment by six women. “He is not going to be pressured by Nancy Pelosi or anyone else to step down.”
“The decision will be made by Congressman Conyers as to what his next course is,” he said. “That will not be today, that will not be tomorrow.”
Reed added that comparisons shouldn’t be made between men in other industries who have been fired immediately over sexual misconduct allegations and Conyers, and said it’s “apples and oranges.”
