Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn., announced Monday that she will not run for re-election in November after she kept a top aide on staff for three months after learning he was accused of punching a female aide and then threatened to kill her.
“It is one of the greatest honors of my life that the people of Connecticut’s Fifth District elected me to represent them in Congress,” Esty said in a statement. “However, I have determined that it is in the best interest of my constituents and my family to end my time in Congress at the end of this year and not seek re-election.”
“Too many women have been harmed by harassment in the workplace. In the terrible situation in my office, I could have and should have done better,” Esty said. “To the survivor, I want to express my strongest apology for letting you down. In Congress, and workplaces across the country, we need stronger workplace protections and to provide employees with a platform to raise concerns, address problems, and work to reduce and eliminate such occurrences, in the first place.”
“In my final months in Congress, I will use my power to fight for action and meaningful change,” she added.
Esty’s announcement comes only four days after reports surfaced that she kept Tony Baker, a former chief of staff, on staff for three months after allegations made by Anna Kain, a former senior adviser to the Connecticut Democrat. She also wrote him a positive job recommendation and signed a non-disparagement agreement.
In the past few days, several Connecticut Democrats called on Esty to step down from her seat, including former Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz and Senate President Martin Looney. One person who did not call for her resignation was House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who stopped short of doing so in a statement Monday, adding that Esty “did not protect” Kain and “should have.”
Esty became the latest member of Congress to step down or announce they will not seek re-election since the #MeToo movement came to the forefront, including former Sen. Al Franken, former Rep. John Conyers, and former Rep. Trent Franks.
