The chair of the Republican National Committee said Wednesday it’s too early to determine whether the GOP will continue to support Rep. Patrick Meehan, who is the subject of an ethics investigation after he reportedly used taxpayer funds to settle a sexual harassment claim.
“Right now, we’re going to let the investigations take place. We will see everything that happened through the ethics investigation and then we’ll let the voters decide. It’s too early to say,” RNC Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel told CNN’s “New Day.”
According to The New York Times, Meehan, a Pennsylvania Republican, made unwanted romantic advances toward an aide, and when she didn’t reciprocate, he grew hostile.
Meehan denied harassing the aide in an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, but confirmed that he “developed an affection” for the aide “in a way in which I was struggling to make sure that I would never put that into our professional relationship.” He has been removed from the House Ethics Committee following the news.
Meehan still plans to run for re-election, he told the Inquirer.
Asked if the RNC would stand behind him, McDaniel said she wants the process to “play out.”
“I’m not going to jump to conclusions because I have to know all the details,” she added.
