EXCLUSIVE – Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) will use one of his first hearings as chairman of the House’s government efficiency subcommittee to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct by lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
Burchett told the Washington Examiner he would open an investigation into a “slush fund” for workplace disputes, including allegations of sexual harassment by members of Congress.
A 2018 bill, passed in the midst of the MeToo movement, updated the law to force lawmakers to foot the bill for those expenses, but the settlements are receiving renewed attention amid revelations that Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) allegedly sent sexually explicit texts to a staffer who later died by setting herself on fire.
A growing number of House Republicans, many of them women, have denounced Gonzales or called on him to resign over the scandal, including Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), a member of the panel who earlier on Thursday asked Burchett to probe the settlements.
In an interview, Burchett called the investigation a matter of transparency and said he would make the payouts the subject of his third hearing since taking over the chairmanship from former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in January. The first hearing, on government duplication, is tentatively scheduled for mid-March, with another related to the IRS in April.
“This probably would have been our first meeting, because I think this would be a good one to kick it off, but I think with all the accusations being made now about sexual misconduct, I think it’s very timely,” Burchett said.
The 2018 law added new reporting requirements to mandate public disclosure, including naming the lawmaker who paid a settlement. It also eliminated the confidentiality agreements signed by accusers. Yet Congress continues to be roiled by allegations of sexual misconduct, leading to calls for mass disclosure.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), who is running for governor of South Carolina, has promised to force a vote on the House floor that would release all sexual harassment complaints held by the Ethics Committee, not just those leading to a settlement. She is viewing Burchett’s investigation as a fallback, however, if her resolution fails next week.
Burchett, along with Mace, Luna, and other conservative Republicans, is frequently a thorn in the side of congressional leadership and sees the panel as a platform for their legislative priorities.
Asked why he chose to pursue an investigation through the Delivering on Government Oversight subcommittee, Burchett replied, “Because I’m the chairman, and I’m not beholden to anybody.”
“If you’re a dirtbag, you need to be exposed,” he added.
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Buchett lacks subpoena power, limiting what he can accomplish on the panel. He has also not discussed the matter with Rep. James Comer (R-KY), who oversees the panel as chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
But Burchett is promising to use his chairmanship to uncover further misconduct on Capitol Hill and will try to obtain the settlement case files kept by the Office of Compliance.
“I think it’s going to leave a lot of people uncomfortable,” he said.