U.S. Rep. John Conyers has pushed back against allegations of sexual harassment outlined in a Buzzfeed News report Monday evening, noting that he did reach a settlement with a former staffer but denied sexual harassment claims.

"In this case, I expressly and vehemently denied the allegations made against me, and continue to do so," he said in a statement to media. "My office resolved the allegations - with an express denial of liability - in order to save all involved from the rigors of protracted litigation. That should not be lost in the narrative."

On Monday evening, the website Buzzfeed News reported Conyers, 88, settled a complaint in 2015 from a woman alleging she was fired because she rejected his sexual advances. Buzzfeed reported the woman was paid more than $27,000 from Conyers' taxpayer-funded office to settle the complaint under a confidentiality agreement.

BuzzFeed also published documents from some former congressional staff members who describe seeing Conyers touch other female staffers inappropriately, including rubbing their legs and backs or requesting sexual favors.

In the statement, Conyers said he is an advocate for equality in the workplace and supports the rights of employees, but also called for allowing due process to run its course.

"It is important to recognize that the mere making of an allegation does not mean it is true," he said. "The process must be fair to both the employee and the accused."

Following the Buzzfeed report Monday evening, several Michigan Democrats have called for updated sexual harassment guidelines in Congress.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, who on Friday shared her own stories of sexual harassment in Washington, D.C. as a young woman during a CNN interview, said the allegations against Conyers should be referred to the House Ethics committee "for a transparent, fair and thorough investigation."

She also said it was important to take up U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier's legislation "to bring more transparency to how claims are handled in Congress, prohibit non-disclosure agreements and taxpayer funded settlements, and give more rights and support to survivors."

In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Brandon Dillon said the party is calling for an investigation into all of the allegations outlined in the Buzzfeed report and will require candidates and campaign staff to complete comprehensive sexual harassment and workplace conduct training in order to obtain party support.

"We are calling for a full investigation by the House Ethics Committee into all of the allegations against Mr. Conyers, and we urge the Speaker to order a full-scale inquiry into the abuse of authority that has pervaded the halls of power in Washington, along with state capitals across the country, for far too long," Dillon said in the statement.

Colleen Pero, chief of staff for the Michigan Republican Party, said she was sickened by the allegations.

"For over 50 years, the voters of Detroit have placed their trust in him, and he has repaid that trust with repeated allegations of corruption and the revelation that he used $27,000 of their taxes to cover up his sexual misconduct," she said.