Texas Congressman Hedges on Promise to Repay Taxpayers
HOUSTON (CN) – Texas Congressman Blake Farenthold has backed off his pledge to take out a personal loan to repay an $84,000 taxpayer-funded settlement paid to a former staffer who accused him of sexual harassment.
The fallout came quickly for Farenthold amid an avalanche of sexual harassment allegations women have made against powerful men since the Harvey Weinstein scandal broke in October last year.
Farenthold, 56, announced on Dec. 14 he will not seek re-election in 2018 after Politico reported that he had paid the former spokeswoman of his congressional office, Lauren Greene, $84,000 from a congressional account to settle hostile workplace claims she made in a federal lawsuit in 2014.
The four-term Republican, an attorney and former conservative talk radio host, represents a district that includes his hometown of Corpus Christi. He had a net worth of more than $5 million in 2015, according to The Hill.
https://www.courthousenews.com/texas-congressman-hedges-on-promise-to-repay-taxpayers/
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