Tuesday, December 19, 2017

How Congress paid out more than $700K to settle complaints against lawmakers

Congress has paid out more than $265,000 in sexual harassment or sex discrimination settlements through its secretive Office of Compliance over the last decade, according to new data made public Tuesday.
The numbers are part of a public accounting demanded by leaders after reports of the office being used to hush up accusers who felt they were maltreated by members of Congress.
The money spanned 10 settlements stretching from 2008 through this November.
About half of that money, paid out from 2013 through November, had already been made public earlier this month. But the numbers from 2008 to 2012 were new Tuesday.
Across all complaints against lawmakers, the compliance office paid out more than $700,000 during the 10 years. About $342,000 of that came in the first five years, and nearly $360,000 came from 2013 on.

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