The U.S. House of Representatives has made payments totaling $359,000 to settle six claims brought against Members of that institution, including for sexual harassment. One such payout, reported this week, was for $84,000 paid to a former employee of Texas Republican Blake Farhenthold, who lodged a complaint about his comments to her about his “sexual fantasies” about her and, presumably, other offenses. The Congressman refused to confirm the settlement because mandatory nondisclosure agreements under the Congressional Accountability Act [sic] prohibited him from commenting. (Farhenthold, who used to own the internet domain blow-me.org, said that he “100 percent support[s] more transparency.”) There’s been at least one other sex-related payout, but others were for other forms of discrimination.
Accountability is at the very heart of democracy.