House Votes to Reveal Lawmakers’ Taxpayer-Funded Sex Settlements
The House voted 420-0 to publicly disclose Ethics Committee records of sexual misconduct settlements paid with taxpayer funds after two members resigned amid scandal.
The House of Representatives has voted overwhelmingly to expose lawmakers who used public funds to settle sexual misconduct allegations, approving a resolution that demands full disclosure of Ethics Committee records tied to such payments.
According to Washington Examiner, the measure introduced by Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky passed with a staggering 420-0 vote on Tuesday. Only Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who had previously issued her own subpoena targeting similar chamber records, opted to vote present rather than in favor.
The resolution directs the House Committee on Ethics to preserve and publicly release all chamber documentation connected to sexual harassment settlements paid with taxpayer money. Massie argued the American people deserve transparency about congressional conduct and treatment of House officers and employees.
The overwhelming support comes after a turbulent period for the lower chamber throughout 2026, marked by the resignations of two sitting members. Representative Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, and Representative Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, both departed Congress following allegations of sexual assault and sexual misconduct respectively. Their conduct sparked intense criticism from fellow lawmakers, who pledged to restore accountability to the institution.
Both Massie and Mace have emerged as leading voices advocating for victims of sexual assault within Congress. The pair have consistently pushed for transparency, including championing the release of the Epstein files over recent years.
Mace explained her present vote by noting she had already accomplished the same objective through her own channels. She claimed to have subpoenaed these records in March and released them in May through the Oversight Committee, calling the Tuesday vote redundant political theater.
The House had previously rejected a broader Mace-sponsored measure in early March that would have publicly released all House records related to sexual harassment. That proposal failed by a vote of 357-65-1, demonstrating Tuesday’s resolution enjoyed far wider bipartisan support by narrowing its focus to taxpayer-funded settlements.
With information from Washington Examiner
