Democratic leaders call on Nevada congressman to resign

James DeHaven | Reno Gazette-Journal

RENO — U.S. Rep. Ruben Kihuen, D-Nev., is facing calls from top Democratic leaders to resign amid allegations he sexually harassed a woman who worked on his 2016 congressional campaign.

Kihuen, 37, made repeated, unwanted sexual advances toward the then-25-year-old staffer, according to a report published Friday by BuzzFeed News.

“In light of these upsetting allegations, Congressman Kihuen should resign,” Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said, according to the Associated Press.

The California lawmaker said she spoke to the 37-year-old congressman Friday night.

The woman, identified only as Samantha, told BuzzFeed that Kihuen twice touched her thighs without consent. She did not know what to do with her complaint, and didn’t feel comfortable bringing it to the campaign’s leadership, so she quit the campaign, according to the online news outlet.

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Buzzfeed reports the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee was contacted by the staffer and told that Kihuen had done things that made her uncomfortable.

On Friday, the group called on Kihuen to step down.

“Members and candidates must be held to the highest standard,” DCCC chairman Ben Ray Luján wrote in a statement published by BuzzFeed. “If anyone is guilty of sexual harassment or sexual assault, they should not hold elected office. Congressman Kihuen should resign.”

In a statement, Kihuen apologized, but did not directly address calls for his resignation.

“I sincerely apologize for anything that I may have said or done that made her feel uncomfortable," the statement said. "I take this matter seriously as it is not indicative of who I am, but I want to make it clear that I don’t recall any of the circumstances she described.

"I was raised in a strong family that taught me to treat women with the utmost dignity and respect. I have spent my fifteen years in public service fighting for women’s equality, and I will continue to do so.”

Michael J. McDonald, chairman of the Nevada Republican Party, called allegations leveled at Kihuen "appalling and disgusting."

“He needs to resign immediately and take full responsibility for his actions," McDonald wrote in a statement.