The cacophony of sexual misconduct charges has claimed yet another one. The latest casualty is Democratic Congressman John Conyers of Michigan.
Politics
After an illustrious political and civil rights career that spanned more than 5 decades, Conyers announced his resignation on Tuesday following multiple allegations of sexual harassment. The iconic African-American figure represented the Detroit area for 52 years, was the longest-serving member of Congress and was revered on Capitol Hill as a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus. However, he succumbed to mounting pressure from Democratic leaders to step aside after a growing number of female former aides accused him of unwanted advances and mistreatment.
Speaking from a hospital bed where he has been recuperating from a stress-related illness brought on by the charges against him, the 88-year-old Conyers remained adamant and denied any wrongdoing. He added that his legacy “can’t be compromised or diminished in any way by what we’re going through now.”
“This, too, shall pass,” Conyers said. “My legacy will continue through my children.”
The congressman has formally endorsed his son, John Conyers III, a writer and aspiring rapper, to replace him. However, another Conyers family member has also declared his intention to run and compete in an intrafamily contest.
Ian Conyers, a Michigan state senator and the grandson of Conyers’s brother took to Twitter on Tuesday to say: “I look forward to our local and national media taking a thorough look at all candidates to replace my uncle @RepJohnConyers.”
Politics
With Conyers out, Michigan’s Republican Gov. Rick Snyder will need to call a special election to replace the now-retired congressman. Although a race between an aspiring rapper and an existing state senator seems like a no-brainer, the special election could turn nasty for the Conyers family.
After leading the call for the congressman to step aside, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said in a statement that Conyers’s accusers “were owed the justice” of his resignation. She called for the House to approve legislation reforming the system for filing and settling workplace complaints on Capitol Hill.
“Congressman Conyers has served in the Congress for more than five decades and shaped some of the most consequential legislation of the last half-century. But no matter how great the legacy, it is no license to harass or discriminate,” she said.
DJ:
The congressman has formally endorsed his son, John Conyers III, a writer and aspiring rapper, to replace him. […]
Good Lord. You really can’t make this stuff up can you? Nope.