'A Drunk Congressman Is Rubbing My Back': Woman Remembers How Lawmaker Harassed Her — Then He Apologizes

Rep. Tom Reed.Photo: Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty

New York Rep. Tom Reed this weekend said he took “full responsibility” after a woman said he had sexually harassed her four years ago.

Reed, a Republican, initially denied the woman’s account but then apologized on Sunday and said he would not be running for reelection in 2022.

“A drunk congressman is rubbing my back,” Davis texted a friend and co-worker that night, thePostreported. She also wrote: “HELP HELP.”

Davis, now an Army officer, told thePostshe spoke up for others.

“I need to always act in good conscience and set the right example for the soldiers I will lead, including younger females,” she said. “I hope it will allow people who have endured similar experiences to feel confident enough to say something.”

Though Reed, 49, initially told thePostthat Davis' story was “not accurate,” he issued a lengthierstatementon Sunday in which he said the incident occurred during a time in his life when he was struggling with alcohol addiction. He had since entered recovery, he wrote.

“In reflection, my personal depiction of this event is irrelevant. Simply put, my behavior caused her pain, showed her disrespect and was unprofessional,” read one portion of his statement, which was published on Twitter. “I was wrong, I am sorry and I take full responsibility.”

“As I go forward, I will strive to be a better human being, continue to fight for what I believe in, and to make people’s lives better in any way I can,” Reed wrote.

Reed had been reportedly mulling a campaign for New York governor to challenge DemocratAndrew Cuomo, who is mired in his own sexual harassment controversy.

Several current and former New York state employees have accused the governor of sexual harassment or other misconduct. Cuomo, 63, has denied touching anyone inappropriately and has insisted some of his behavior was inadvertently inappropriate.

State Attorney General Letitia Jamesis leading an investigationinto the claims, which have also led to calls for Cuomo to resign. He has resisted, saying the public should wait for the results of the investigation.

Reed also called on Cuomo to step down, though he told reporters he didn’t believe the governor would do that.

As the Cuomo allegations continued to unfold, Reed told Fox News that he was “seriously considering” launching his own bid to unseat the governor in 2022, when Cuomo would seek a fourth term.

In his statement on Sunday, Reed said he would now be leaving politics and not run for elected office in 2022. Instead, he said, he will be retiring from public service on Jan. 2, 2023, citing a pledge he had made to voters that he would serve only six terms after being elected in 2010.

source: people.com