A US Democrat Congresswoman, Katie Hill has announced her resignation after an alleged affair with her aide, and some of her nude photos leaked online.
She had taken to her official Twitter account on Sunday evening to make the announcement, saying:
“It is with a broken heart that today I announce my resignation from Congress. This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but I believe it is the best thing for my constituents, my community, and our country. “
The 32-year-old Katie Hill who is also the vice-chair of the House Oversight Committee in her letter, accused her estranged husband of leaking her nude photos online, saying:
“This is what needs to happen so that the good people who supported me will no longer be subjected to the pain inflicted by my abusive husband and the brutality of hateful political operatives who seem to happily provide a platform to a monster who is driving a smear campaign built around cyber exploitation.”
“Having private photos of personal moments weaponized against me has been an appalling invasion of my privacy.
“It’s also illegal, and we are currently pursuing all of our available legal options. However, I know that as long as I am in Congress, we’ll live fearful of what might come next and how much it will hurt.”
Katie Hill also apologized “For the mistakes made along the way and the people who have been hurt.“
She said: “I know that even a consensual relationship with a subordinate is inappropriate, but I still allowed it to happen despite my better judgment. For that, I apologise.“
According to the reports by Associated Press, Evening Standard, the resignation of Katie Hill came after the House ethics committee opened an investigation into allegations that she had engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a male staffer.
House members are forbidden from engaging in relationships with their staff.
Ms Hill denied the claim in a letter to constituents but admitted to a relationship with a different, unnamed staffer on her congressional campaign that she called “inappropriate”.
The revelation followed the publication of nude photos of Ms Hill, alongside purported text messages from her to a campaign staffer. She has asked the police to investigate the publication of the photographs.
Speaker Pelosi reacting to the news on Sunday praised Katie Hill for bringing “a powerful commitment to her community and a bright vision for the future” to the House.
But she added: “She has acknowledged errors in judgment that made her continued service as a Member untenable. We must ensure a climate of integrity and dignity in the Congress, and in all workplaces.”
She’s asked U.S. Capitol Police to investigate potential legal violations for posting and distributing the photos online without her consent, the evening standard had added.