DETROIT (AP) – U.S. Rep. John Conyers will fight allegations of sexual misconduct involving several former female staff, his lawyer said in an interview, even though some fellow Democrats are pushing him to resign.
Detroit-area attorney Arnold Reed told The Associated Press that the 88-year-old Conyers is innocent and has no plans to resign. Anyone making inappropriate touching or other claims against the longest-serving member of the House should be prepared to back them up, he added.
“He’s going to fight these allegations tooth and nail if he has to with evidence, with documentation, witnesses, whatever he has to do,” Reed said. “And the accusers will have to prove up their case.”
Last week, BuzzFeed News reported that Conyers had settled a complaint in 2015 from a woman on his staff who alleged she was fired because she rejected his sexual advances.
BuzzFeed reported that Conyers’ office paid the woman more than $27,000 in the confidential settlement. BuzzFeed also published affidavits from former staff members who said they had witnessed Conyers touching female staffers inappropriately or requesting sexual favors.