Lawmakers are demanding transparency on $17 of million taxpayers’ money spent on settling harassment claims and workplace disputes
Republican Representatives Thomas Massie from Kentucky and Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor Greene have urged the US Congress to disclose the names of lawmakers who have used taxpayer money to settle workplace disputes, including sexual harassment claims. Since 1997, over $17 million has been paid out for such cases.
In a post on X on Thursday, Massie highlighted the issue, stating that “Congress has secretly paid out more than $17 million of your money to quietly settle charges of harassment (sexual and other forms) in Congressional offices.” The lawmaker insisted that the names of the representatives involved must be released.
Taylor Greene supported Massie’s call, writing on X that she wishes to release the “congressional sexual slush fund list.” She emphasized that taxpayers should not have been responsible for these payments in the first place, or for “all the other garbage that they should not have to pay for.”
The Office of Congressional Workplace Rights (OCWR), established in 1995, oversees these settlements. Between 1997 and 2017, the OCWR disbursed over $17 million to resolve nearly 300 cases, covering issues like sexual harassment, discrimination, and pay disputes. The office does not disclose the identities of those involved in the settlements.
Former Representatives Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) and Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) have also expressed support for releasing the names associated with these settlements. Brooks stated that taxpayer money should never be used to secretly bail out harassers, advocating personal accountability to deter misconduct. Chaffetz concurred, asserting that taxpayers deserve transparency.
This renewed demand for transparency follows the release of a House Ethics Committee report accusing former Republican Florida Representative Matt Gaetz of using illegal drugs and paying tens of thousands of dollars for sex, including with a minor. Gaetz has vehemently denied the allegations and has in turn proposed a plan to expose the individuals involved in harassment settlements.
The OCWR has previously stated that a significant portion of the cases it handles involve employees not directly affiliated with the House or Senate, such as from the Library of Congress or the Capitol Police. Additionally, settlements reached outside the OCWR, like the 2015 case involving the late Democratic Michigan Representative John Conyers, are not included in the disclosed figures.
