Texas Rep. Blake Farenthold resigned from Congress on Friday, capping months of controversy over sexual-harassment allegations by a former aide and ethical concerns over an $84,000 payment to settle the case with taxpayer funds.
"While I planned on serving out the remainder of my term in Congress, I know in my heart it's time for me to move along and look for new ways to serve," the fourth-term Republican said in a video statement.
Farenthold, 56, said he sent a letter to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott saying that he would leave Capitol Hill effective Friday.
"It's been an honor and privilege to serve the constituents of Texas' 27th congressional district," which includes Corpus Christi, he said.
In 2014, Farenthold's former communications director, Lauren Greene, alleged in a federal lawsuit that she had been fired by the congressman after she complained to him about being "bullied" by his chief of staff.
Greene had also accused Farenthold of making sexually suggestive comments to her, and said he had told another aide he had sexual fantasies about Greene, according to news reports.
Farenthold denied the allegations, maintaining in the eventual court proceeding that Greene was fired for poor performance.
However, the congressman used $84,000 controlled by the Congressional Office of Compliance to settle the lawsuit in 2015, triggering a probe last year by the House Ethics Committee after news reports of the payment.
The committee initially investigated Greene's claims in 2015 — and the Office of Congressional Ethics found insufficient basis then to recommend an ethics inquiry based on the allegations.
In December, Farenthold said he would repay the $84,000, though he insisted that he "didn't do anything wrong" in tapping the funds.
Elected in the tea party wave in 2010, Farenthold was a former lawyer and consultant who beat longtime Democrat Solomon Ortiz.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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