Category: Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation

Pat Meehan Tells Side, Does Hallmark Movie Loom? — Congressman Pat Meehan (R-Pa7) has told his side of the story to the Delaware County Daily Times, which was published Jan. 23 and is now accessible on the web.

Meehan was accused of sexually harassing an aide in a story reported by The New York Times, Jan. 20, and that he used tax money to make her go away.

Meehan, according to the Delco Times, said that  that he had worked with the aide for years and that she had become his gatekeeper in Washington. When she failed to come to a 2016 Christmas party at his home,  he was disappointed, then asked himself why he was disappointed and discovered that he had developed feelings for the aide.

Meehan said he took her out for some ice cream on April 28 and told her that he developed “affection” for her that he was struggling with.

“This was a significant thing to me, that she would be leaving, and also that I was also struggling with the fact that during our close personal relationship, I had grown admittedly some affection and that affection was something that I was struggling with, so that I would not allow it to get into the middle of our working relationship,” Meehan told the Times. “I go to Mass first thing in the morning and I kind of laughed and said, ‘A lot of times I’m praying to make sense of what’s going on down here in Washington, D.C., but from time to time making sure I am able to keep myself straight and focused on what I am doing.’ But I also wanted to communicate that that struggle was going on and it was sort of impacting some of the regular activity that we had before, that I had stepped back a little bit, because I thought that was important for me to not allow this emotion to get into our normal working relationship.”

Meehan said that a few days later the aide asked for a lot of money, then invoked the  Congressional Accountability Act, then left getting the money.

Ice cream, Mass, confessing feelings, maybe Pat will get away with this.

We had to reach for our hanky.

Actually, we threw up a little in our mouths.

Hey Pat, has the Hallmark Channel called yet? Make sure you get a nice cut for the rights to the story.  You certainly don’t want to have to move back to Drexel Hill.

On a serious note, adults should be able to handle this sort of thing without major media or outside advocates getting involved and money exchanging hands. Meehan did not — according to any report –touch her, nor expose himself, nor verbally abuse her nor do  any of the twisted things that now appears SOP by our political/journalistic/academic/entertainment leaders.

Pat actually should get away with this.

Meehan says he is not resigning and is planning on seeking re-election.

Pat Meehan Tells Side, Does Hallmark Movie Loom?