The Secret Slush Fund to Pay Off Victims of Congressional Sexual Predators

Dear Fellow Taxpayers,
Make sure you keep working hard so that you can your tax money can go to hide the indiscretions of our members of Congress. That’s right. In the event of a monetary settlement of sexual harassment complaints, members of Congress can draw on a taxpayer-funded account set up within the Treasury Department to cover their legal expenses and settle cases.
In fact, this process was discovered when the office of Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) paid $27,000 to settle a previously undisclosed sexual harassment complaint against the lawmaker.
The story is notable not just for the allegations against a powerful member of Congress, but for shedding light on the highly opaque process through which the House of Representatives handles such settlements—and keeps them concealed.