Neither the speaker of the House nor party leaders are briefed on how many offices each year settle harassment complaints, which members are involved or how much they pay. The secrecy surrounding Capitol Hill is mandated under a law that shapes how workplace complaints are handled. ), chairman of the House Administration Committee, said he wants to improve the process for handling sexual harassment and discrimination. If members’ settlements are denied and they decide to pay accusers through their office budgets, committee leaders are not notified, Miller said. In most cases, Bernabei said, the settlements came directly out of the lawmaker’s office budget, known officially as the Members’ Representational Allowance (MRA).

Source: Washington Post December 06, 2017 23:24 UTC