WASHINGTON _ Rep. Jim Clyburn, the third ranking House Democrat and a veteran Congressional Black Caucus member, said Thursday that Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., should resign amidst allegations of sexual misconduct.
Sitting in his Capitol office, Clyburn, D-S.C., told reporters from McClatchy and Politico that he has informed his longtime colleague and fellow CBC member that "it would be in his best interest" to step down.
Clyburn's comments came shortly after House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said at her weekly news conference that Conyers needed to resign from Congress.
Clyburn explained that Conyers "saved" the CBC, and the Democratic Caucus as a whole, from having to force him to vacate his seat as ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee as an ethics investigation was underway. Conyers gave up that post earlier this week.
"I am hopeful that he will do the same thing for his constituents," Clyburn said, "because this is at the point where he needs to do for his constituents what he did for his colleagues."
Clyburn said he has been making this plea to Conyers, the 88-year-old "dean" of the House currently back home in Michigan, for the past three days. After seeing new allegations from a former staffer detailed on the "Today" show earlier Thursday, Clyburn said he felt compelled to share these sentiments with the press.
It's not clear, however, if or when Conyers will heed the advice of colleagues and members of leadership. Conyers' attorney has said his client continues to deny charges of sexual harassment of female aides over the years and has no plans to step aside. Clyburn said there appeared to be a "force" surrounding Conyers preventing him from absorbing the counsel of people he knows and trusts.
Clyburn added that he believed the complaints against Conyers were "credible."
