Pennsylvania Rep. Pat Meehan Resigns From Congress Amid Scandal

UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 20: Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., leaves the House the Republican Conference meeting at the Capitol Hill Club on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2012. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)
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Already embroiled in a sexual harassment scandal that forced him to withdraw from a reelection bid, Rep. Pat Meehan (R-PA) abruptly announced his resignation Friday.

“While I do believe I would be exonerated of any wrongdoing, I also did not want to put my staff through the rigors of an Ethics Committee investigation and believed it was best for them to have a head start on new employment rather than being caught up in an inquiry,” he said in a statement. “And since I have chosen to resign, the inquiry will not become a burden to taxpayers and committee staff.”

“I recognize that there are constituents who are disappointed in the manner in which I handled the situation that lead to my decision not to seek reelection and wish I had done better by them,” he added.

Meehan was already under fire for reportedly using $39,000 of taxpayer dollars to settle sexual harassment claims from a former aide. He promised to pay back the money, though he refers to it as “severance,” denying any wrongdoing.

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