WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette said Monday that she is among the many women who have been sexually harassed while serving in Congress — telling MSNBC that former U.S. Rep. Bob Filner of California groped her while the two Democrats were in an elevator.

“Some years ago, I was in an elevator and then-Congressman Bob Filner tried to pin me to the door of the elevator and kiss me and I pushed him away,” said the Denver lawmaker in an on-air interview.

On #MTPDaily, I spoke with @KatyTurNBC about ending the scourge of sexual harassment across every part of our society, including Congress. pic.twitter.com/Q5Mm4TBKwu — Rep. Diana DeGette (@RepDianaDeGette) November 20, 2017

She noted the incident fit a broader pattern in Filner’s career, as he resigned as mayor of San Diego in 2013 following similar accusations of sexual harassment.

That behavior later led to criminal charges.

“Of course, some years later he left Congress (and) became mayor of San Diego and then he had to leave that position for harassing younger women,” said DeGette.

The run-in with Filner isn’t the only time DeGette said she has been fondled during her time in Congress.

“When I was a young congresswoman I was at a diplomatic dinner and one of the French diplomats tried to put his hand up my dress,” she said. “You can imagine the shock when you’re sitting at a dinner like that.”

Both incidents, she said, underscored the need to provide more protections for staff on Capitol Hill — as interns and aides don’t have the ability to defend themselves in the same way that lawmakers do.

“When these advances happen, they’re brushed under the rug,” DeGette said. “This is one reason why I think it’s so important that we update our House employment rules.”

A DeGette aide said the Colorado lawmaker did not file a complaint or take official action in either incident she mentioned.

Later in the MSNBC interview, she was asked about recent allegations of sexual harassment that have been levied against U.S. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn.

“If these things had happened now, while Senator Franken was a senator, then I think probably he should resign,” she said.

When it was pointed out that one of the accusations — involving inappropriate touching, as reported by CNN — was said to have occurred while Franken was in office, DeGette said it was up to the Senate.

“I heard that allegation just today, myself, and that’s what I think the Ethics Committee needs to investigate and decide whether that’s true,” she said.