Facing backlash over harassment claim, GOP congressman won't seek re-election

Rep. Pat Meehan.
(Image credit: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Rep. Pat Meehan (R-Pa.) announced Thursday he will not seek re-election, a week after The New York Times reported he used taxpayer dollars to settle a sexual harassment case involving a former aide.

Meehan, 62 and married with three sons, said the allegations have become a "major distraction" but he needs to "own it because it is my own conduct that fueled the matter." Speaking to The Philadelphia Inquirer earlier this week, Meehan denied any wrongdoing, but admitted he had strong feelings of affection for the woman, who is decades younger than him, and said he thought she was his "soul mate." He also said he settled the case on the advice of House attorneys.

Meehan was removed from the House Ethics Committee over the weekend, and an investigation into the claim was launched; Meehan said if he is found guilty by the committee, he will repay the taxpayer funds.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.