Dem House Rep To Retire Over Staffer Scandal

CNN reports:

In the immediate aftermath of revelations that Rep. Elizabeth Esty kept her chief of staff on the payroll for three months after another former aide made allegations of harassment against him, the Connecticut Democrat insisted she would not resign.

“For those who have asked, I want to be clear that I am not resigning,” Esty said in the statement to CNN last week. “I have important work to do in Congress including building on the lessons of this horrible series of events.” On Monday afternoon, Esty reversed course — announcing her retirement via Facebook.

From her Facebook post:

Too many women have been harmed by harassment in the workplace. In the terrible situation in my office, I could have and should have done better. To the survivor, I want to express my strongest apology for letting you down. In Congress, and workplaces across the country, we need stronger workplace protections and to provide employees with a platform to raise concerns, address problems, and work to reduce and eliminate such occurrences, in the first place. In my final months in Congress, I will use my power to fight for action and meaningful change.