Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., will resign from Congress effective Friday and plans to reimburse the Treasury $39,000 for a severance payment made to a former employee who alleged she had been sexually harassed.
“With the knowledge I would not be standing for another term, I have decided that stepping down now is in the interest of the constituents I have been honored to serve.,” Meehan said in a statement Friday. “I have stayed to fight for important priorities like fully funding our troops, increasing support for medical research and preserving promising clean energy solutions. And now that work is accomplished.”
Meehan was initially expected to retire from Congress at the end of his term following allegations of sexual misconduct. It was reported he used taxpayer money to settle a sexual harassment claim from a former staffer. The payment was made from his congressional office fund and disguised as a salary.
The congressman allegedly made unwanted romantic advances toward the younger employee and became hostile towards her when she rejected his efforts.
Meehan denied the allegations, but said he had a unique relationship with the staffer he viewed as his “soulmate.” The congressman also said he acted “selfishly” when the woman entered into a relationship with another man.
After the allegations went public, Meehan lost his seat on the House Ethics Committee. The committee also launched an investigation into the claims against him.
“While I do believe I would be exonerated of any wrongdoing, I also did not want to put my staff through the rigors of an Ethics Committee investigation and believed it was best for them to have a head start on new employment rather than being caught up in an inquiry,” he said. “And since I have chosen to resign, the inquiry will not become a burden to taxpayers and committee staff.”
Meehan said the $39,000 reimbursement for the severance payment will be made within 30 days of his resignation.
“I did not want to leave with any questions of violating the trust of taxpayers,” he said.
The Pennsylvania congressman thanked his constituents, but acknowledged some are “disappointed” with how he handed the situation involving the former staffer.
“Though I wish my time in Congress would have finished in a more satisfying manner, I am proud of our accomplishments and thank the residents of my district for their confidence in me over the last eight years,” Meehan said. “I recognize that there are constituents who are disappointed in the manner in which I handled the situation that lead to my decision not to seek re-election and wish I had done better by them.”
National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Steve Stivers, R-Ohio, commended Meehan’s decision to repay the Treasury for the severance payment.
“I fully respect Congressman Meehan’s decision to resign,” Stivers said in a statement. “I’m pleased to hear he will pay back the taxpayer money used for his office’s severance payment. We must continue to hold ourselves to a higher standard.”
Pennsylvania state election law requires Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, to call for a special election within the next 10 days. The election date must take place no sooner than two months after the resignation, meaning the special election cannot happen before the end of June.
Wolf can also hold off and schedule the special election to coincide with November general election. The winner would then be able to fill out the remainder of the 2018 cycle.
With Meehan’s resignation, there will be at least three special elections to occur by the end of the 2018 election cycle due to the impending resignation of Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa., next month and the March race in Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional District.
