Dem Rep. Kihuen won't seek re-election amid sexual harassment claims
Dem Rep. Kihuen won't seek re-election amid sexual harassment claims
By Samuel Chamberlain | Fox News
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Rep. Ruben Kihuen, pictured with then-Sen. Harry Reid last year, was elected to Congress to represent Nevada's 4th congressional district. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
Rep. Ruben Kihuen, D-Nev., announced Saturday that he would not seek re-election in the wake of multiple sexual harassment allegations against him.
"I want to state clearly again that I deny the allegations in question," Kihuen said in a statement first reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. However, the freshman congressman added that "it is in the best interests of my family and my constituents to complete my term in Congress and not seek re-election."
The announcement by Kihuen, 37, came one day after the House Ethics Committee announced it had opened an investigation into the harassment claims against him.
Earlier this month, a former campaign aide accused Kihuen of propositioning her for dates and sex despite her repeated rejections during his 2016 campaign. This week, a lobbyist told the Nevada Independent that he touched her thighs and buttocks and made unwanted sexual advances while he was a state senator.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has called on Kihuen to resign, a request he has resisted. On Saturday, Kihuen told the Review-Journal that he is "committed to fully cooperating with the House Ethics Committee and look forward to clearing my name."
Kihuen is among a growing number of lawmakers whose political careers have been thrust into uncertainty or ended altogether by allegations of sexual misconduct.
On Thursday, Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, said he would not seek re-election amid sexual harassment allegations that he has denied.
Last week, Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., retired weeks after former aides shared stories of habitual sexual harassment. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., announced he would step down after he was accused of improper behavior by at least eight women and his support from fellow Democrats collapsed.
On Dec. 8, Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., abruptly resigned over revelations that he'd asked two staff members to act as surrogates to have his child, offering one $5 million.
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