Black Caucus Members In Talks To Get Conyers To Resign; Another Former Staffer Alleges Harassment By Rep Conyers; Pelosi Meets With, Says She Believes Conyers Accuser.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: And we're back with some breaking news in the "POLITICS LEAD" today. Sources telling CNN that several members of the Congressional Black Caucus and the House of Representatives are in talks to try to get embattled Democratic Congressman John Conyers of Michigan to step down, to retire from Congress, in light of more sexual misconduct allegations against him. This comes as a second former employee has now come forward. His former Deputy Chief of Staff who says that Conyers made three sexual advances towards her during the time she worked for him. Let's get right to CNN's Sara Ganim. And Sara, you spoke with this former employee. What did she tell you?</s>SARA GANIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Deanna Maher actually worked for him in the 1990s and says that his office had a culture of sexually inappropriate behavior and that the congressman himself set that tone. She described three incidents of sexual harassment to us. The first one in 1997 when she says she was told to stay in a suite in Washington and John Conyers walk into her bedroom and took off his clothes.</s>DEANNA MAHER, FORMER DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF TO JOHN CONYERS: And I was really tired so I got into bed and all of a sudden John Conyers walked into my bedroom. Another time I was instructed to drive him to the airport and he was driving erratically, erratically -- he was a terrible driver, erratically. Thank God he was-- he was erratic, OK, because his hand was feeling me all over my -- what do you call it, my abdomen.</s>GANIM: In a third incident in 1999, Maher says that Conyers put his hand up her dress during a town hall meeting in his home district and then whispered to her that, "she had great looking legs." Maher is the fourth woman to come forward with sexual misconduct claims against Conyers. He's denied any wrongdoing, although he admits he settled one case in 2015. Jake.</s>TAPPER: And Sara, members the Congressional Black Caucus that Conyers helped formed year also ago, they're now in talks trying to get him to resign with some dignity I suppose?</s>GANIM: That's right. My colleagues on The Hill are essentially looking for a way for him to get out of this with some ease, without trampling on his 50-plus-year-long legacy in the House. This is something that leading Democrats have been struggling with over the past few days. Earlier in the week, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi got into a bit of hot water after calling Conyers an icon and refusing to criticize him after these allegations. She later met with one of these alleged victims and said that she believed the woman's accusations and finds the behavior to be unacceptable. But clearly, as these allegations have trickled out, people behind the scenes are saying that's it's time for some of this to result in some bigger consequences. Jake.</s>TAPPER: All Right, Sara Ganim, thanks so much. Joining me now is Democratic Congresswoman Jackie Speier of California. She's one of the co-sponsors of the Me Too Congress Act Legislation that would seek to change how Congress deals with this issues of sexual harassment. Congresswoman, thanks for joining us.</s>REP. JACKIE SPEIER (D), CALIFORNIA: Thank you, Jake.</s>TAPPER: You've said that Congressman Conyers should step down if the allegations are accurate, that the Ethics Committee needs to determine whether or not they are accurate. This now the fourth women, when you hear this woman speaking out about her experiences with Conyers, do you still have that position or do you believe her?</s>SPEIER: I believe her. I believe the women. I think there's a pattern here. It's pretty clear. And I think that there needs to be action taken in a swift manner. Now it has been referred to the Ethics Committee. If they are -- if we're going to pursue that, then it needs to happen rather quickly. I think it's not going to take a lot of time to interview these women. It's not going to take a lot of time to determine whether or not the actual payment from the member's allowance was made because of sexual harassment. And if so, I think it's a very clear case.</s>TAPPER: We just reported that some members of the Congressional Black Caucus are in talks to try to get him to resign. Do you support their plan?</s>SPEIER: Well, I think the Congressional Black Caucus is a very persuasive group of people, and I think that -- I think they're making a good decision if that's the manner in which they're approaching this. It's a tragedy on a number of levels because Mr. Conyers has a very storied history in terms of the civil rights movement. But this conduct is unbecoming a Member of Congress and there is no staff member in this building that should ever have to deal with that kind of conduct.</s>TAPPER: I want to play a bit of what Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi had to say about Congressman Conyers over the weekend.</s>REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER: John Conyers is an icon in our country. He's done a great deal to protect women.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you believe John Conyers' accusers.</s>PELOSI: I don't know who they are. Do you? They have not really come forward. That's for the Ethics Committee to review, but I believe he understands what is at stake here and he will do the right thing.</s>TAPPER: Now Pelosi since said that his behavior is unacceptable. I guess I'm a little struck by this whole John Conyers as an icon thing that I'm hearing from Pelosi and the CBC and, again, with respect, from you as well, I mean, Harvey Weinstein was a film icon, Charlie Rose and Mark Halperin were journalistic icons. Bill Cosby was a comedy icon. I can go on and on. Why is Congress acting like they are somehow special if their members get caught doing unacceptable things for women? I mean, who cares if they're iconic if they were actually sexually harassing and assaulting women?</s>SPEIER: Well, first of all, Jake, you're absolutely right. They're totally unrelated and it doesn't matter if you're an icon in business or film or media, and if you conduct yourself in that manner then you are no longer privy to those roles that you held. So you can, on the one hand, say someone is a good journalist, but the fact that they have conducted themselves in a fashion that was sexually harassing, you know, taints it. There is no question about it.</s>TAPPER: I want to turn to Senator Al Franken. He told Minnesota Public Radio that he couldn't be sure more accusers would not come forward. What do you think of that?</s>SPEIER: You know, I guess I'm a little tired of the dance because that would suggest to me that he, in fact, knows that he has done those kinds of things and done it more frequently than has come forward. So in the end, you know, we're here representing the people of our districts, but we're also here representing this institution. And if you bring disgrace on this institution then I think it's time for you to go.</s>TAPPER: Earlier this month, you mentioned you knew two current members of Congress who had harassed women, one from each party, but none of the people that have come forward you are or been accused publicly, it's neither of them.</s>SPEIER: That's correct.</s>TAPPER: Is there any way you can tell us who those people are?</s>SPEIER: So, Jake, I am really here to talk about protecting these victims. If these victims want to come forward then I would support them in doing so. But you know, when you're a victim and I've talked to many of them, they sat in my office. They are tortured by the experience that they have had. And some of them want to able to close that chapter and move on with their lives. They should have the right to do that. So if they want to come forward, certainly they have every right to do so, but if it's going to somehow impact their settlement or if they feel they're going to turn into mincemeat and be trashed by, you know, talking heads then I can understand why they wouldn't.</s>TAPPER: All right, Democratic Congresswoman Jackie Speier of California, thank you so much.</s>SPEIER: Thank you.</s>TAPPER: That's it for THE LEAD, I'm Jake Tapper, I'm going to see you again at 9:00 p.m. Eastern for the CNN debate on taxes. Wolf Blitzer is next in "THE SITUATION ROOM." Stay with us.