Patrick Meehan Blames Alleged Sexual Harassment Of Aide On Obamacare Repeal Stress

Rep. Patrick Meehan, (R- Pa.), said Tuesday that he told an aide of his she was "a soul mate," before using taxpayer money to pay off a sexual harassment and misconduct claim that the aide pursued against him. Meehan has denied all the allegations against him.

Meehan tried damage control in interviews with several media outlets, as he spoke with the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News on Tuesday for the first time since allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced against him last week.

The married Republican congressman, who added that he intends to run for re-election amid the allegations, told the Philadelphia Inquirer he "developed an affection" for his younger aide, however he never pursued a romantic relationship with her.

He denied the harassment allegations to the news outlet and said "any anger in the office was driven by stress around high-pressure votes last year over the Affordable Care Act."

A New York Times report on Saturday stated that the Congressman used taxpayer money to settle the sexual harassment claim against him for an undisclosed amount. The report claimed Meehan "developed an affection" for his younger aide, however, he never pursued a romantic relationship with her. Meehan reportedly disclosed his desires to the aide but she had already initiated a relationship with a man outside the office.

Meehan acknowledged the report and admitted he reacted with hostility when he found out about her relationship with another man. He added that he lashed out at his aide, citing a tense period around House votes on healthcare legislation as the reason for his behavior.

"Sometimes I have the tendency to lash out to others on the staff… and you go hardest on the ones that you care the most about," Meehan told the outlet.

The Inquirer published a letter the Congressman wrote to his aide expressing his feelings and wishing her well on May 4, 2017, the day the House voted to repeal Obamacare.

"As you bask in this moment of extreme joy, I want to share with you my sentiment of how richly it is deserved," Meehan wrote in the letter. "You are kind and sensitive and caring and infectious with your laugh. You are and have been a complete partner to me and you have brought me much happiness."

The letter continued: "Thank you for all that you have done for me, and for all you continue to do. I thank God for putting you into my life and for all that we have seen, and experienced and genuinely shared together."

The aide, who reportedly worked with Meehan for seven years, texted him the next day, thanking him "for your very kind words and for your friendship," according to messages Meehan’s office shared with the Associated Press.

Meehan was removed from his post on the House Ethics Committee, which subsequently opened an investigation into the allegations. Meehan said Tuesday that he would repay the taxpayer money used to settle the case if he is found guilty by the committee.

A spokesman for Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Tuesday that the Speaker "takes the allegations against Mr. Meehan very seriously."

"The speaker is committed to rooting out sexual misconduct in the House and providing victims the resources they need," Ryan spokesman Doug Andres told the Hill.