Democratic Senator Tim Kaine tried to request a complete data set on just how many sexual harassment settlements have been paid out (on the taxpayer’s dime) on behalf of his colleagues, but he was denied by a Congressional watchdog on the basis of confidentiality. The Congressional Accountability Act also claimed that even if confidentiality weren’t an issue, they don’t have the statistics Kaine requested, such as how many claims have been filed, against whom, and for how much. However, that also seems to be the exact kind of information that falls under the CAA’s purview, raising the question of why they aren’t working with Kaine on this issue.
CAA spokesperson Susan Tsui Grundmann explained that the watchdog is “ready to work with” representatives eager to resolve Congress’ problem with sexual harassment, revealed as numerous women have spoken out against several lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. However, Grundmann noted this:
“The [Office of Compliance] does not possess reliable information regarding the number of sexual harassment claims that have been filed or settled, the identities or positions of the individuals alleged to have committed sexual harassment, or why the parties reached settlements.”
That’s odd for an organization dedicated to the oversight of “civil rights, labor, and workplace safety and health laws,” and which specifically notes in its handbook that “Section 201 of the CAA also prohibits sexual harassment in the workplace.” What the CAA does know is that $17 million of taxpayer money has been spent on settlements, but the organization doesn’t know which of those settlements are related to sexual harassment specifically. Nor is it clear which individuals were behind many of those settlements, since they were typically handled by government offices. It was journalists, for example, who uncovered Rep. Farenthold’s use of taxpayer funds for his harassment settlement, not the CAA.
Essentially, Kaine’s request might not have revealed who on Congress has been sexually inappropriate, but it does reveal a major blindspot in the CAA’s oversight. He responded to the CAA’s refusal:
“If Congress truly wants to fix a broken system, we need to understand the scope of the problem. I’m disappointed the OOC didn’t release any information to help us do that. I’m going to keep pushing for public release of this data and working on reforms that help prevent harassment and assault.”