Republican Rep. Patrick Meehan of Pennsylvania resigned Friday amid an ethics probe into a secret payment he made to a former staffer over a sexual harassment claim.
“With the knowledge I would not be standing for another term, I have decided that stepping down now is in the interest of the constituents I have been honored to serve,” Mr. Meehan said in a statement.
Mr. Meehan said he was confident he would have been absolved of any wrongdoing related to the settlement payment, but said he concluded that tendering his resignation was the fastest way for people to move on.
“I will pay the $39,000 to the U.S. Treasury to reimburse for the severance payment that was made from my office account,” he said.
Democrats are well-positioned to pick up Mr. Meehan’s seat as they look to flip control of the 20-plus seats they need to capture control of the U.S. House.
Steve Stivers, head of the National Republican Campaign Committee, said he respected Mr. Meehan’s decision.
“I’m pleased to hear he will pay back the taxpayer money used for his office’s severance payment,” Mr. Stivers said. “We must continue to hold ourselves to a higher standard.”
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.