Representative Katie Hill, a Democrat from California, has announced plans to resign following a right-wing website’s allegations that she engaged in inappropriate sexual relationships with both a congressional staffer and someone who worked on her campaign.
In a statement released on October 27, Hill wrote that she would be stepping down:
“It is with a broken heart that today I announce my resignation from Congress,” Hill wrote in a statement. “This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but I believe it is the best thing for my constituents, my community, and our country.”
Hill’s resignation comes on the heels of a report by the pro-Trump website RedState that claimed Hill had an affair with her legislative director, Graham Kelly. In a subsequent story, the same website published allegations that she had also been involved in a three-way relationship with her ex-husband and a woman who worked on her campaign. A nude photograph of Hill was published alongside the piece and quickly circulated on social media. British tabloid the Daily Mail then published additional nudes, possibly leaked by her ex-husband, that the outlet claimed were of Hill. In her statement, Hill said she would pursue legal action against those responsible for releasing the photos, which is a crime in California.
While Hill has denied the affair with the congressional staffer, in an October 23 letter to constituents, she admitted to a sexual relationship with the campaign employee:
“During the final tumultuous years of my abusive marriage, I became involved in a relationship with someone on my campaign. I know that even a consensual relationship with a subordinate is inappropriate, but I still allowed it to happen despite my better judgment. For that I apologize.”
Last week, the House Ethics Committee announced an investigation into Hill’s conduct. According to Politico, she is now set to leave office by the end of the coming week.