AP Photo/Cliff Owen/File
- Democratic lawmakers are telling Rep. Ruben Kihuen, a first-term congressman who represents Nevada’s 4th Congressional District, to resign after allegations of sexual harassment.
- Kihuen’s campaign finance director accused Kihuen of making repeated sexual advances toward her during his 2016 campaign.
- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who earlier this week called on fellow Democrat John Conyers to resign over his own purported sexual-misconduct scandal, is now telling Kihuen to take a hike.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The chairman of the House Democrats’ campaign committee called on a first-term congressman from Nevada to step down after a report Friday that he allegedly sexually harassed his campaign’s finance director.
BuzzFeed News reported that Democratic Rep. Ruben Kihuen is alleged to have repeatedly made sexual advances toward the aide during his 2016 congressional campaign. BuzzFeed withheld her last name at her request.
Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said House members and candidates should be held to the highest standard, and anyone guilty of sexual harassment or assault should not hold elected office. He added in a statement Friday, “Congressman Kihuen should resign.”
Kihuen’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Kihuen told BuzzFeed the aide was a valued member of his team. “I sincerely apologize for anything that I may have said or done that made her feel uncomfortable. I take this matter seriously as it is not indicative of who I am,” Kihuen said.
In the BuzzFeed report, the woman, identified only as Samantha, said Kihuen propositioned her for dates and sex despite her repeated rejections. On two occasions, she said, he touched her thighs without consent.
Congressional leaders are under pressure to respond to a national outcry against sexual harassment. The allegations against Kihuen come after Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., was accused of sexually harassing members of his staff and Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., was accused of inappropriate touching.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has called on Conyers to resign. His lawyer, Arnold Reed, said Friday the congressman, the longest-serving member of the House, will discuss in the next few days whether to resign, but his health will be the paramount factor and not pressure from Washington politicians.
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