Summary
Congress has a fund, paid by taxpayers, that has been used for many years to settle sexual harassment and other workplace complaints involving lawmakers. Recently, there have been demands for more transparency about this fund and its records, especially after new subpoenas requested disclosure of past settlement details.
Key Facts
- Congress set up a fund under the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to pay settlements for workplace disputes, including sexual harassment.
- The fund is managed by the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights (OCWR).
- From 1997 to 2019, over $18 million was paid out to settle nearly 300 workplace disputes involving Congress and related government bodies.
- The names of lawmakers involved in these settlements have usually not been made public.
- In 2018, reforms required members of Congress to repay these settlements themselves, instead of using taxpayer money.
- Despite reforms, lawmakers continue to push for releasing more information about past settlements.
- In 2026, the House Oversight Committee approved a subpoena demanding full records of all misconduct settlements before December 2018.
- Florida Representative Anna Paulina Luna indicated soon-to-be public release of these records could lead to new resignations.
