Rep. John Conyers Announces Retirement, Endorses Son To Run For Seat

<p>Embattled Rep. John Conyers, D-Michigan&nbsp;has announced that he will be retiring and will not be seeking re-election in 2018. He has also endorsed his son, John Conyers III to run for his seat.</p>

Tuesday, December 5th 2017, 10:51 am

By: News 9


Embattled Rep. John Conyers, D-Michigan has announced that he will be retiring and will not be seeking re-election in 2018. He has also endorsed his son, John Conyers III to run for his seat. 

"My legacy can't be compromised or diminished in any way by what we're going through now. This too shall pass," said Conyers on a local Michigan radio station Tuesday morning. 

He added, "I want you to know that my legacy will continue through my children. I have a great family here and especially in my oldest boy, John Conyers III who incidentally I endorsed to replace me in my seat in congress."

The news comes after Conyers' great-nephew, 29-year old Michigan state Senator Ian Conyers, told CBS News' Jonathan Blakley he would be running for the elder Conyers' seat. 

According to a phone interview with the New York Times, the state senator was adamant that the elder Conyers was not resigning, but retiring instead. The 88-year-old Democrat is the longest-serving current House member.

"His doctor advised him that the rigor of another campaign would be too much for him just in terms of his health,"  Ian Conyers told the Times. 

He added that he believed his great-uncle's constituents in Michigan would continue to support him and the rest of the family "as we continue to fight, as we have for lead up to a century."  

The move comes amid numerous calls, including from Democratic leadership, for Conyers to step down in light of allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment against him.  

Buzzfeed was the first news outlet to report last week about a settlement Conyers made with a former staffer who had accused him of sexual misconduct. Conyers eventually acknowledged the settlement, but denied wrongdoing. Another former staff member accused Conyers of sexual misconduct and filed a lawsuit, but dropped the suit when the court refused to seal the case. 

Speaking on the Mildred Gaddis show, Conyers said he's taking the allegations "in stride."

"This goes with the issue of politics. The game of politics which we're in, we take what happens, we deal with it, we pass on and move on forward as we keep going trying to make as much as we can of this tremendous opportunity that's been given to me for so long," said Conyers on Tuesday. 

The younger Conyers did not go into detail with the Times on the allegations against his family member, but said he would stand with him.

"I stand with my uncle in terms of his belief of no specific wrongdoing," Conyers said. "However, those things need to have their day in court."

The elder Conyers, however, continued to deny the allegations leveled against him. 

"Whatever they are they are not accurate, they are not true, and I think that they are something that I can't explain where they came from," said Conyers.

Following news of the allegations, Conyers was hospitalized in Detroit for a stress-related illness according to Conyers' lawyer Arnold Reed.

The revelations against Conyers came amid similar allegations of sexual misconduct against several of his colleagues in both the House and Senate, including Reps. Joe Barton, R-Texas, Blake Farenthold, R-Texas and Sen. Al Franken, D-Minnesota.  

Conyers has already stepped down from his leadership position as ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee late last month. He will now be leaving the seat he's held since 1965.

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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