Blake Farenthold, the Texas congressman who promised to pay back the $84,000 of taxpayer money used to settle a sexual-harassment lawsuit against him is now holding the money hostage.
In early December, Farenthold admitted to using a little-known fund to pay off his former communications director, who accused him of encouraging her show her nipples at work, among other transgressions. Farenthold denied her claims but settled the suit in 2015. And when the information became public, he promised to pay the taxpayers back.
“I want to be clear that I didn’t do anything wrong, but I also don’t want taxpayers to be on the hook for this,” Farenthold told a Corpus Christi TV station. His plan was to take out a personal loan, he added, with the intention of giving House Speaker Paul Ryan a personal check within days.
A month later, the check still hasn’t been delivered. Farenthold, who has said he won’t run for reelection this year, is waiting to see what, if any, changes are made to the Congressional Accountability Act (CAA) before keeping his word, CNN reports. – READ MORE
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