John Conyers Reportedly Set To Retire From Congress As New Harassment Accusations Emerge

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After a woman who worked for Michigan congressman John Conyers alleged late Monday that he slid his hand up her skirt and rubbed her thighs while sitting in the front row of church, a relative said Tuesday morning that Conyers won’t seek re-election when his term runs out.

Elisa Grubbs, who worked for Conyers for more than a decade, made the allegations Monday in an affidavit posted to Twitter by her attorney, Lisa Bloom. Grubbs is the cousin of another accuser, Marion Brown, who broke the terms of a confidential settlement with Conyers to speak out last week.

“Rep. Conyers slid his hand up my skirt and rubbed my thighs while I was sitting next to him in the front row of a church,” Grubbs said in the affidavit. “I was startled and sprang to my feet and exclaimed, ‘He just ran his hand up my thigh!’ Other staffers witnessed the event.”

She also said she witnessed Conyers, the longest-serving member of the House of Representatives, rub female staffers’ thighs and butts on multiple occasions and that he regularly undressed in front of female staffers. Such harassment “was a regular part of life while working in the office of Rep. Conyers,” Grubbs said in the affidavit.

The new allegations come as Conyers is expected to make an announcement on a Detroit radio show this morning about his political future. A relative told The New York Times that he won’t run again.

Ian Conyers, a Michigan state senator and the grandson of Conyers’ brother, emphasized the congressman would not be resigning amid the wave of allegations against him—despite members of his own party calling for him to step down—and that the decision is related to his ill health. He plans to run for his uncle’s old seat, he told the Times.

“He is not resigning. He is going to retire,” he said. “His doctor advised him that the rigor of another campaign would be too much for him just in terms of his health.”

UPDATE, 10:29 am: Calling into local radio, Conyers announced: “I am retiring today.” He went on to say he supports his son, John Conyers III, replacing him.

About the allegations, he also said, “whatever they are, they are not accurate.”

WHAT ELSE?

• Lauren Greene had a promising career in D.C. politics—becoming the communications director for Texas congressman Blake Farenthold in just five years—until she accused Farenthold of sexually harassing her, Politico reported. Greene says she was “blackballed” from working in politics again, was forced to leave Washington, and still babysits for extra cash on the side after unsuccessfully applying for dozens of jobs.
• Karen Pence, Vice President Mike Pence’s wife, thinks Donald Trump is “reprehensible—just totally vile,” a former campaign aide told The Atlantic, as part of a new profile on the VP.
• On Monday, the Supreme Court allowed full enforcement of the administration’s Muslim ban to move forward, even as legal challenges to the order continue.
• Weird, the rest of the world aren’t huge fans of President Trump’s recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Welcome to WHAT NOW, a morning round-up of the news/fresh horrors that await you today.