Rep. Blake Farenthold settled sexual harassment claim for $84,000.
by LEIGH ANN CALDWELL and ALEX MOE
WASHINGTON — Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, settled a 2014 sexual harassment claim lodged by a former employee, two sources tell NBC News, a revelation that represents the first taxpayer-funded settlement of its kind that has so far been made public.
Farenthold's former communications director, Lauren Greene, brought the complaint against him for sexual harassment, discrimination and a hostile work environment. Both parties agreed to settle out of court in 2015.
Rep. Gregg Harper of Mississippi, the top Republican on the House Administration Committee, told House Republicans on Friday morning in a closed-door meeting that the Office of Compliance had made just one settlement for sexual harassment complaints, in the amount of $84,000 since 2012.
Two sources familiar with the case confirmed to NBC News that that settlement was for the complaint against Farenthold. That the congressman involved was Farenthold was first reported by Politico.
“While I 100% support more transparency with respect to claims against members of Congress, I can neither confirm nor deny that settlement involved my office as the Congressional Accountability Act prohibits me from answering that question,” Farenthold said in a statement.
Read more at:
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/rep-blake-farenthold-settled-sexual-harassment-claim-84-000-n825696?cid=sm_npd_ms_fb_ai
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