Major Detroit Newspaper Urges John Conyers To Step Down

With a tenure of 52 years, 321 days, John Conyers is the longest-standing living representative in congress.

As representative over a major area of Detroit, his tenure has seen a once-thriving city turn into the main example of American dilapidation… and yet he keeps getting re-elected.

Why?

Well…I suppose some see him as a “civil rights hero.” He helped found the Congressional Black Caucus, and establish Martin Luther King, Jr. day….

Does that make up for his abysmal leadership? Does it make up for the fact he used TAX PAYER MONEY to silence victims of his sexual abuse?

Absolutely not. Not even close.

A major Detroit Newspaper agrees:

EDITORIAL: U.S. Rep. John Conyers’ documented use of taxpayer dollars to bury allegations of sexual harassment goes too far.

He must step down. https://t.co/w8HNnGTvXR

— A Better Michigan (@ABetterMI) November 22, 2017

They reach this conclusion hesitantly, as they seem to truly uphold his “hero” status:

He has been an undisputed hero of the civil rights movement, a legislator of uncommon influence and power, and an aging icon whose felonious wife and sometimes-wandering pace have confounded his place in history.

But the revelations of Conyers’ alleged sexual harassment scandal and his documented use of taxpayer dollars to bury that scandal, in violation of congressional ethics rules, is less ambiguous.

It is the kind of behavior that can never be tolerated in a public official, much less an elected representative of the people.

And it means that whatever Conyers’ legacy will eventually be, his tenure as a member of Congress must end — now.

He should resign his position and allow the investigation into his behavior to unfold without the threat that it would render him, and the people he now represents, effectively voiceless.

And they’re realistic about how messed up this is:

After the alleged victim made a formal complaint through the U.S. Congress Office of Compliance, Conyers’ office endorsed an alternative route. If the woman dropped her complaint and signed a legal document attesting that Conyers had done no wrong, and if she agreed never to disparage him or make subsequent claims, she’d be re-hired as a temporary “no-show” employee and paid $27,111.75 over the course of three months. She accepted the terms.

Conyers’ office defended the arrangement Tuesday as a means to avoid “protracted litigation” and defended the sum as a “reasonable severance payment.” Conyers also continues to deny the woman’s claims.

But the House’s ethics rules are clear: A House member can’t retain an employee who isn’t performing work commensurate with the pay, and regardless, can’t give back pay for work that stretches further than a month.

It’s a rule Conyers has flouted before.

He continues to battle an ethics complaint alleging that he violated House rules by keeping a former chief of staff on payroll after she was fired; Conyers’ lawyers contend that the representative’s office has the right to pay severance to its employees at will. Nor is Conyers the only member of Congress who has come under fire for paying what they’ve described as severance.

What makes this payment different? It looks an awful lot like hush money.

Because it is. It’s hush money that TAXPAYERS are paying for… and that’s disgusting.

Nearly 53 years, folks… this is a PRIME example of why term limits aren’t a bad idea.

This man has spent a LIFETIME grifting off of the American people…

Of course, as Mad Maxine continues to bark “IMPEACH 45!” I doubt the Dems will let go of him easily…

After all, they’ve readily admitted they’ll excuse virtually anything if it means beating those dirty ol’ Republicans.