The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has commissioned an independent investigation into an allegation of sexual harassment involving Congressman-elect Brian Poindexter.
DCCC Executive Director Julie Merz confirmed that the organisation was aware of the claims and was treating them seriously.
In a statement released on Friday, Merz said the committee had engaged an external firm to investigate the alleged misconduct, interview relevant individuals and establish the facts surrounding the complaint.
“In the interest of fairness to all parties involved, we have hired an independent, third-party firm to investigate any instance of inappropriate behavior, conduct interviews and gather the facts,” she said.
She added, “Upon completion of that investigation, which we have asked to be swift, thorough and transparent, the DCCC will have further comment.”
POLITICO said it had not independently verified the details of the allegation against Poindexter. Punchbowl News had earlier reported the DCCC’s statement.
Poindexter defeated Republican Congressman Max Miller in a closely watched contest in a district around Cleveland. The campaign attracted national attention, partly because Miller faced allegations of domestic abuse connected to his divorce, which he has denied.
The investigation involving Poindexter emerged after the political organisations affiliated with the moderate Blue Dog Coalition and the Congressional Progressive Caucus withdrew their endorsements of him around Election Day without initially explaining their decisions.
Both groups confirmed on Friday that they had learned of an alleged sexual harassment complaint during the final days of the campaign.
In a joint statement, the Blue Dog PAC and CPC PAC said they notified the DCCC and linked the complainant to legal advocacy and support services, allowing her to decide how to handle the matter.
They explained that the woman had asked them not to make the details of her complaint public, citing concerns about protecting her identity and allowing her time to consider her next steps.
“We respected her desires, and also felt we needed to immediately pull our endorsements pending the investigation being completed,” the statement said.
The groups added that the investigation remained underway and that they were waiting for its findings.
Poindexter had earlier addressed the withdrawal of the endorsements when questioned by reporters on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.
During a brief interview, he said his immediate priority was organising his congressional office, adding that he might consider joining ideological caucuses later.
“My main focus right now is just setting up my office and stuff. There could be time to join ideological caucuses,” he said.
He further dismissed suggestions that the endorsement withdrawals carried any hidden meaning, saying he was still trying to understand the political landscape.
“Nothing to read into that. Just, I’m waiting to learn the political landscape.”
Responding to the development on Friday, a spokesperson for Poindexter’s campaign defended his conduct, describing him as someone who had always made efforts to ensure people felt comfortable around him.
“As a lifelong ironworker, Brian always went out of his way to make everyone feel comfortable on any job site. He knows these are different worlds, but he will do the same in Congress,” the spokesperson said.
