U.S. House Democrats are investigating a sexual harassment complaint lodged by a campaign staffer against U.S. Rep.-elect Brian Poindexter.
Poindexter defeated incumbent Republican Max Miller to claim the seat for Ohio’s 7th Congressional District.
According to reports from media outlets including CNN and Politico, a campaign aide filed a complaint alleging Poindexter made comments that made her uncomfortable.
House Democrats will hold the majority in the U.S. House in January. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has hired an independent firm to investigate the complaint.
DCCC Executive Director Julie Merz told Ideastream via a statement, “The DCCC has been made aware of the allegations and takes them seriously. 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. Upon completion of that investigation, which we have asked to be swift, thorough and transparent, the DCCC will have further comment.”
In a statement provided to CNN, a spokesperson for Poindexter’s campaign said, “Brian gave what he thought was an innocuous compliment to a volunteer. He heard later that it made her feel uncomfortable and he felt awful.”