Rep. Speier: Conyers’s pattern of conduct ‘is that of a predator’

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) on Friday repeated her call for Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) to step down over allegations of sexual misconduct saying his actions were equal to “that of a predator.”

Speier told CNN that the House of Representatives cannot continue to count Conyers as a member if it truly claims to have “no tolerance” for sexual misconduct.

Conyers faces mounting accusations of sexual misconduct after it was revealed he reached a settlement with a former staffer who said she was terminated for reporting sexual misconduct.

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“Well, I have been saying since the beginning of the week that I believe the victims,” Speier said. “I think when the staffer who had a settlement broke her nondisclosure agreement and went on TV to explain what happened to her, I was convinced that there was a pattern of conduct by Rep. Conyers that is really, without any fear of contradiction, is that of a predator.” 

Speier is currently co-authoring legislation with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) to update Congress’s system of reporting sexual harassment and assault, a process which currently takes months and remains confidential.

“We cannot stand by as members of Congress and say we have zero tolerance and then let someone continue to conduct himself in the manner he has,” Speier added of Conyers’s alleged misconduct.

Speier has referred to the process that Conyers used to reach a settlement with his former staffer as designed to protect the guilty party while silencing the victims.

“I think it was a system set up in 1995 to protect the harasser. This is not a victim-friendly process,” Speier said on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday.

“One victim who I spoke with said, ‘you know, the process was almost worse than the harassment,’ ” she added.

Conyers is facing growing calls for his resignation this week after multiple women came forward with details of harassment by the Democratic lawmaker. Conyers’s lawyer has said that neither House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) nor any other member of the House will force the senior Democrat out.

“Nancy Pelosi did not elect the congressman, and she sure as hell won’t be the one to tell the congressman to leave,” attorney Arnold Reed said Thursday.