Ethics Attorney Says Rep. John Conyers Verbally Abused Her As His Staffer

Nina Golgowski

A prominent ethics attorney in Washington has accused Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) of verbally abusing her when she worked for him in the 1990s, adding her story to recent allegations of sexual harassment.

Melanie Sloan, who worked for Conyers as a House Judiciary Committee staffer from 1995 to 1998, told CBS News that while Conyers did not sexually harass her, he repeatedly berated her and criticized her appearance.

“He screamed at me in front of a bunch of domestic violence advocates,” Sloan said. “He would yell and scream at me. There was a time where he screamed at me for not wearing stockings.”

Sloan, who is the former executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said she reported his behavior to a supervisor, but her concerns were dismissed.

Washington attorney Melanie Sloan has publicly accused Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) of harassing and berating her when she worked for him in the 1990s. (Photo: Meredith Dake/Congressional Quarterly via Getty Images)
Washington attorney Melanie Sloan has publicly accused Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) of harassing and berating her when she worked for him in the 1990s. (Photo: Meredith Dake/Congressional Quarterly via Getty Images)

“There was nothing I could do to stop it,” Sloan told The Washington Post. “Not going to leadership, not going to my boss, not going to a women’s group, not going to a reporter. I was dismissed and told I must be mentally unstable.”

Arnold Reed, legal counsel for Conyers, denied the allegations.

“Representative Conyers has never done anything inappropriate to Melanie Sloan,” he told the Post in a statement. HuffPost was unable to reach Conyers’ office for comment on Thursday.

The House Ethics Committee has opened an investigation into allegations against Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.). (Photo: Rebecca Cook/Reuters)
The House Ethics Committee has opened an investigation into allegations against Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.). (Photo: Rebecca Cook/Reuters)

On Wednesday, Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.) became the first Democrat in Congress to call on the 88-year-old representative to resign. In an editorial, the Detroit Free Press also urged him to step down.

Earlier this week, another former Conyers staffer told BuzzFeed that Conyers fired her for refusing his advances. She settled a wrongful dismissal complaint with him in 2015. Three other former staffers for Conyers’ office have recalled similar experiences.

Related Coverage

Rep. John Conyers Reportedly Settled Complaint Involving Unwanted Advances

Congressman Conyers Sexual Harassment Exposed

Detroit Newspaper Urges Longtime Rep. John Conyers To Resign Over Harassment Claims

First House Dem Calls On Rep. Conyers To Resign

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.