This post has been updated.
In a letter to the leaders of the House Oversight Committee, more than 50 Democratic congresswomen asked the committee to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct against President Donald Trump.
The female lawmakers noted that at least 17 women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct and argued that Trump’s comments on the “Access Hollywood” tape “appear to back up the allegations.”
“In the time of ‘Me Too,’ women across the country are coming forward with their own harrowing stories of sexual harassment and assault. Members of Congress have also come under scrutiny and investigation, with some resigning, for improper sexual conduct. We cannot ignore the multitude of women who have come forward with accusations against Mr. Trump,” they wrote. “With that said, the President should be allowed to present evidence in his own defense.”
The leaders of the Democratic Women’s Working Group, Reps. Lois Frankel (D-FL) (pictured above), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), and Jackie Speier (D-CA), led the effort to send the letter to the House Oversight Committee.
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) on Tuesday morning backed the female lawmakers’ call for the Oversight Committee to investigate the sexual misconduct claims against Trump and called on Chair Trey Gowdy (R-SC) to launch a probe.
“Congress is in the midst of a critical and long-overdue examination of allegations against its own Members—both before and after they were elected to Congress. The Oversight Committee is charged with examining similar allegations against Executive Branch employees and the President. It is extremely hard for Republicans to argue that Congress should ignore these multiple allegations. They deserve a bipartisan review, and I hope Chairman Gowdy will launch an investigation immediately,” Cummings said in a statement.
The letter comes after several Democrats in Congress called for Trump to resign over the sexual misconduct allegations made before the 2016 election. The revelations about Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), Alabama GOP candidate Roy Moore, and Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), have prompted renewed scrutiny of Trump’s behavior. Several of Trump’s accusers on Monday urged Congress to launch a formal probe of claims of sexual misconduct made about Trump.
Read the letter:
