House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Sunday called Rep. John Conyers, who has been accused of sexual harassment by multiple women, an “icon” who deserves due process.
Pelosi, D-Calif., refused to say whether Conyers, D-Mich., should resign, and said she has confidence he would “do the right thing” based on the results of a House Ethics Committee investigation.
“John Conyers is an icon in our country,” Pelosi said on NBC’s Meet the Press. “He’s done a great deal to protect women in the Violence Against Women Act, which the right wing is now quoting me as praising him for his work on that. He will do the right thing in terms of what he knows about his situation. He is entitled to due process and the women are entitled to due process as well. I believe he understands what is at stake here and he will do the right thing.”
Pelosi also would not say whether she would support stripping Conyers of his ranking member status on the House Judiciary Committee, in which he functions as the top Democrat on the panel.
“Can’t you decide he should be suspended as ranking member on Judiciary?” host Chuck Todd asked Pelosi. “You’re not going to unilaterally make that decision?”
“I’m not sharing that with you right now,” Pelosi responded.
Pelosi also erroneously said none of Conyers’ accusers have come forward when asked by host Chuck Todd if she believes the women.
“Do you believe John Conyers’ accusers?” Todd asked.
“I don’t know who they are. Do you? They have not really come forward,” she answered.
Washington attorney Melanie Sloan told the Washington Post Conyers verbally abused her and was sexually inappropriate during her time working for him. He once showed up for a meeting with her in his underwear, she said.
