Conyers: 'I Am Retiring Today'

This after a new accusation from a woman who says he groped her in church
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 5, 2017 8:21 AM CST
Updated Dec 5, 2017 10:16 AM CST
Conyers to Announce Retirement: Report
Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., attends a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on Feb. 14, 2017.   (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, file)

Despite numerous calls for him to do so, Rep. John Conyers won't resign—but he is retiring, and it looks like he's not waiting. "I'm in the process of putting my retirement plans together," he told Detroit radio host Mildred Gaddis in a call from a hospital Tuesday, per the AP. Although the news agency says it's not clear when the retirement takes effect, Conyers said, "I am retiring today." Per the New York Times, Conyers says he endorses his son, John Conyers III, to take his seat in Congress. But Michigan state Sen. Ian Conyers, who's the 29-year-old grandson of Conyers' brother, says he also plans to run for his 88-year-old great-uncle's Detroit seat. "His doctor advised him that the rigor of another campaign would be too much for him just in terms of his health," Ian Conyers notes. It's not likely to appease the elder Conyers' critics or the women who accuse him of sexual harassment in the workplace.

Another woman joined the fray Monday, claiming Conyers put his hand up her skirt and rubbed her thighs while in the front row of a church, per the AP. "I was startled and sprang to my feet and exclaimed, 'He just ran his hand up my thigh!' Other staffers witnessed the event," Elisa Grubbs says in an affidavit, also alleging that Conyers appeared naked in front of her. Grubbs—who is the cousin of fellow Conyers accuser Marion Brown—reportedly worked for Conyers from 2001 to 2013. It isn't clear when the alleged behavior took place. Conyers' lawyer has referred to Grubbs' claims as "another instance of tomfoolery from the mouth of Harvey Weinstein's attorney." Grubbs is represented by Lisa Bloom, who represented Weinstein before he faced allegations of sexual misconduct. (More John Conyers stories.)

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