Patrick Meehan

Overview

Pennsylvania Republican Congressman Patrick Meehan resigned from the U.S. House on April 27, 2018, after reporting revealed he had used $39,000 in taxpayer funds to settle a sexual-harassment claim from a former aide.

Description

The New York Times reported in January 2018 that Meehan had secretly settled a misconduct complaint brought by a former staff member much younger than himself. The aide said Meehan expressed romantic feelings toward her and became hostile when she did not reciprocate. Meehan publicly described the aide as his ‘soul mate’ and insisted he had ‘never touched her’ beyond hugging, but admitted developing a deep ‘affection’ for her. After resigning, Meehan committed to repaying the $39,000 settlement funds within 30 days, stating ‘I did not want to leave with any question of violating the trust of taxpayers.’