House ethics panel investigating allegations against Rep. Katie Hill

(Image credit: Zach Gibson/Getty Images)

last updated 24 October 2019

Freshman Rep. Katie Hill (D-Calif.) is denying allegations that she had an improper sexual relationship with one of her male congressional staffers.

The accusation is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee. Hill told Politico she is in the middle of an acrimonious divorce, and her "abusive husband' is behind the controversy.

In a letter to constituents, Hill revealed that during her 2018 campaign, she did have a relationship with a female staffer. Hill, who identifies as bisexual, said she knows that "even a consensual relationship with a subordinate is inappropriate, but I still allowed it to happen despite my better judgment. For that, I apologize." She added, "I am saddened that the deeply personal matter of my divorce has been brought into public view, even the false allegations of a relationship with my congressional staffer, which I have publicly denied, and I am fully and proactively cooperating with the Ethics Committee."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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