Everson said that in May 2013, when she was helping Scott prepare for an event in California, she asked if she should accompany him on the trip. Everson said Scott then asked her if she would “be good” if she came along.

“He said, ‘Well if you’re going to be good then what’s the point of you coming?’ ” Everson said. “I replied ‘Huh?’ Because it didn’t dawn on me the conversation that was actually happening. He said, ‘Are you going to flirt with me?’ I said, ‘No, don’t flatter yourself.’ And I thought that I could lighten the mood in a joking way. But anger flashed across his face and he was disgusted and angry.”

Everson also accused Scott of inappropriately touching her on her lower back while introducing her to another person and touching her leg during a ride on the underground train system on Capitol Hill. Everson said her efforts to take her complaints to other congressional leaders went nowhere, and she ultimately lost her job.

Everson had planned to go public with her allegations in an earlier news conference in late November, but she said she was unable to go forward with it because she was afraid to speak out.