GOP Rep. Blake Farenthold resigns in wake of sexual harassment scandal

Blake Farenthold.
(Image credit: Sean Zanni/Getty Images for NARAS)

Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) announced Friday that he is resigning from Congress.

The sudden departure comes after his December announcement that he would not run for re-election, after reports found that he had used taxpayer money to settle a sexual harassment claim from a former employee. In his Friday statement, Farenthold said that while he had originally planned to finish out the current congressional term before stepping down, he had instead chosen to resign effective Friday.

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Summer Meza, The Week US

Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.