Follow me on Twitter: @mk1157
Congressman John Conyers – who has been accused by multiple women of sexual harassment and groping, resulting in at least one settlement payment – has “retired.”
He leaves Congress with a full pension and health care benefits. Conyers will earn at least $139,000 per year in salary and have the tab for his insurance paid for the rest of his life despite being a serial sexual harasser.
When the next election comes, it is likely Conyers’ son or great grand-nephew end up taking that seat in Congress. I do not know much about either of those two young men, but if they are anything like the disgraced Congressman or his estranged wife, Monica – who served time in prison for receiving bribes while serving in the
Detroit City Council – then I’d suggest the voters consider electing somebody whose last name isn’t Conyers. Future congressional battles aside, however, this “retirement” is such a complete sham that I don’t know whether to laugh or be angry.
I don’t care how long Conyers served in government, he should have been made to walk the plank and certainly had no business being allowed to leave with a full pension and benefits.
Seriously, why on earth are the taxpayers subsidizing this creep?
What an insult to both the women he victimized and the public who will be stolen from to bankroll his final years.
I don’t think I am going out on a limb here, but if a person is forced to settle sexual harassment claims while a sitting member of Congress, I’d say it is reasonable to expect said individual to forfeit any claim to future Congressional benefits.
Conyers leaving Congress with his full retirement compensation feels like he is taking one last urination on the public as he leaves.
There has to be a way to stop this from happening down the line.
Again, accusations are one thing, but this is a man who actually paid out financial settlements.
Allowing him – or anybody else – to have his post-Congressional life paid for by the taxpayers may be something that can’t be avoided right now, but our lawmakers need to come up with some sort of solution so that years from now, I don’t have to see this occur again.
But that would require strong, ethical leaders, displaying some sense of moral clarity and be willing to do the right thing by truly policing their own rather than allowing the bad apples to escape with full pockets.
So don’t count on it happening any time soon.
Or ever.