Texas Republican Blake Farenthold is now considering stepping down from Congress in the aftermath of using taxpayer funds to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit against him, Politico reports.
Farenthold had staved off calls for him to resign in December when the news surfaced that he had paid $84,000 in taxpayer money to former aide Lauren Greene, who sued the congressman for sexual misconduct. Greene said she was fired in 2014 after complaining about the behavior.
Farenthold pledged to repay the $84,000 but it's not clear if he has yet.
Farenthold already had announced he wouldn't run for re-election.
But now Farenthold is considering resigning to avoid an Ethics Committee investigation into his behavior, Politico reports.
If he does step down early, it would spur a special election in the conservative district.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.