Michigan Rep. John Conyers returns to Detroit as calls for resignation mount

DETROIT (WJBK) - The number of people calling for the resignation of John Conyers is mounting and now the longest-serving member of Congress is back in Detroit.

Congressman John Conyers landed on a Delta plane from DC Tuesday evening as he's embroiled in controversy over sexual harassment claims.

Former staffer Deanna Maher is the latest to accuse Conyers of lewd behavior. She appeared on CNN Tuesday night  and outlined three specific allegations, the first of which she says happened 20 years ago when Conyers invited her to Washington for a conference. When she arrived she learned she had to stay in his two-bedroom hotel suite.

"All of a sudden John Conyers walked into my bedroom," she told CNN. "I was absolutely shaking and he took off his clothes. Then I figured out oh my god, what did I do? How stupid, at my age, that I walked in and got myself in a situation like that."

The second allegation was a car ride to the airport in 1998.

"His hand was feeling me all over my abdomen," she said.

The third claim was at a 1999 town hall meeting in Highland Park when Maher claims he groped her. 

"He walked up to act like he was whispering in my ear something about the town hall meeting and he stuck his hand up my dress and whispered in my ear 'wow, you've got great looking legs'. And that was in front of everyone."

Maher worked for Conyers for nearly a decade and ran his downriver office from 1997 to 2005. She says she kept working for the congressman despite the harassment because she would've had trouble finding a new job at her age - she was in her late 50s at the time.

Conyers' attorney Arnold Reed spoke with FOX 2 before Maher's appearance on CNN and reiterated Conyers' stance.

"Conyers has categorically from the beginning said that has not sexually harassed anyone," Reed said.

Conyers stepped down as the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee and says he'll cooperate with the House Ethics Committee's investigation into the harassment allegations.

"So that means testifying, providing documentation, whatever that means Mr. Conyers is going to do it. He said from the very beginning," Reed said.

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