Nancy Mace reveals House sexual harassment payouts exceed $300,000
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · May 4
Nancy Mace reveals House sexual harassment payouts exceed $300,000
13 articles · Updated · POLITICO · May 4
Mace said subpoenaed records showed at least 30 House cases from 1996-2018, with newly cited settlements including $50,000 tied to John Conyers and an extra $30,000 linked to Eric Massa.
She also listed $8,000 tied to Carolyn McCarthy's office and $15,000 associated with former representative Rodney Alexander, while saying records would be released after victims' and witnesses' identities are redacted.
The disclosure comes after recent resignations over staff misconduct claims and suggests totals are about double figures shared with lawmakers in 2017; Congress barred taxpayer-funded settlements for lawmakers' harassment claims in 2018.
How can Congress ensure transparency in misconduct cases without deterring victims from speaking out?
Lawmakers can resign to dodge misconduct penalties. How can this accountability loophole finally be closed?
Federal workers now face stricter accountability rules. Do lawmakers hold themselves to the same standard?
How Congress Blocked Transparency on Nearly 300 Sexual Misconduct Claims Costing Taxpayers $17 Million
Overview
In March 2026, Representative Nancy Mace pushed for a House vote demanding public disclosure of sexual misconduct reports involving Congress members, but the resolution was overwhelmingly blocked. Following this, Mace revealed that taxpayers had secretly paid over $17 million to settle nearly 300 harassment claims since 2007. Meanwhile, an Ethics Committee investigation into Representative Tony Gonzales, sparked by revelations of an affair and harassment allegations, ended abruptly when he resigned in April 2026, highlighting gaps in accountability. These events fueled Mace's ongoing fight for legislative reforms to increase transparency and end the culture of secrecy protecting misconduct in Congress.