Matt House, who served as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's communications director, was asked to leave the position last year after "inappropriate encounters" made staff members uncomfortable.

"Upon learning that he had inappropriate encounters within the office and that it was making some staff uncomfortable, he was asked to leave," a Schumer spokesperson confirmed to CBS News on Friday.

House's nearly six-year tenure working as a top aide for the New York senator had been praised as an effective one, though many were surprised in November when he left Schumer's staff without jumping to a new high-profile job. His reason for departing was first reported on Friday by HuffPost.

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House told the publication, "I deeply regret the mistakes I made on the number of occasions when I had too much to drink, and I apologize to anyone who was affected by my behavior."

"I have always respected all of my colleagues and I was horrified to learn that I made anyone feel uncomfortable. In the past three months, I've stopped drinking and I've committed to making myself a better colleague and person," House said.