Over the last 20 years, at least $600,000 has been used to settle workplace misconduct claims against senators' offices, Politico is reporting.
The public money has been spent to end 13 claims — including one for $14,260 alleging sex discrimination, according to Politico. The money comes from a fund overseen by Capitol Hill's Office of Compliance.
The website attributed the figures to data released late Thursday by the Senate Rules and Appropriations committees. No details were released about which Senate offices were involved in the settlements.
According to Politico, the settlements also included: $21,420 to settle claims of racial discrimination; $89,800 to end claims involving disability discrimination and $286,786 to settle claims involving age discrimination.
The largest single payment was $102,904 to settle a case involving discrimination based on national origin and reprisal, the website reported.
"While the Rules Committee has been eager to provide this information in a transparent manner, it has been our priority to protect the victims involved in these settlements from further harm," said Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., who chairs the rules committee.
The data also revealed settlement figures for Senate offices not led by a particular member, Politico said. Since 1997, these offices have paid out $853,225 to settle 10 claims, the website noted.
CNN reported there was no mention of sexual harassment claims in any of the data released.
"In fact, for many years, the (Compliance Office) simply classified all claims alleging discrimination of any kind as civil rights cases without any further differentiation," the agency said.
"Thus, there are claims in our files that are classified in the category of 'civil rights' which may or may not contain an allegation of sex-based discrimination. Further, there are claims classified as sex discrimination which may not involve allegations of sexual harassment, such as claims of disparate treatment based on sex."
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