GOP Rep. Mia Love: Farenthold should resign

Rep. Mia Love (Utah) called on fellow Republican Rep. Blake Farenthold to resign on Thursday following reports that the Texas lawmaker used taxpayer money to settle a 2014 lawsuit with a former aide who claims Farenthold sexually harassed her.

Love was asked on CNN if Farenthold should resign after the House Ethics Committee announced Thursday it would impanel a subcommittee to investigate allegations of sexual harassment against him.

“Well, look, this is a culture of behavior, and I don’t think that he thinks he’s done anything wrong,” Love said. “But the fact is, somebody was paid off. And what’s frustrating to me is, the money that was used, it’s taxpayer dollars.”

{mosads}

“I think that he should voluntarily resign,” Love added when pressed by CNN’s Kate Bolduan.

Love’s comments come after Farenthold vowed earlier this week to reimburse taxpayers for the $84,000 spent settling the lawsuit filed by Lauren Greene, his former communications director.

Earlier Thursday, Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) announced his resignation in response to multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) announced earlier this week that he would also retire over similar accusations.

“I want to be clear that I didn’t do anything wrong, but I also don’t want the taxpayers to be on the hook for this,” Farenthold said Monday. “And I want to be able to talk about it and fix the system without people saying, ‘Blake, you benefited from the system, you don’t have a right to talk about it or fix it.’ “

Greene, who left Farenthold’s employment in 2014, described her search for work after the settlement as a “tough road” in an interview with Politico this week.

“It’s definitely turned my life upside down,” Greene said.

“It’s been a tough road. Emotionally, it was tough. Professionally, it’s been hard to figure out next steps. And it’s definitely had an impact on my career,” she said.