A Pennsylvania lawmaker embroiled in a sexual harassment scandal resigned his seat Wednesday after previously announcing he would retain it while he sought inpatient treatment for an unspecified illness.
In a letter provided to Democratic Speaker Joanna McClinton, Democratic state Rep. Mike Zabel offered up his resignation effective March 16, allowing time for the vacancy to be filled in a May primary, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
“The toll is just too great on my family, and was too detrimental to my well-being. I need to focus on what matters,” Zabel told the outlet.
“Allegations of this nature are impossible to litigate in a public forum. It was always my intention to go through the Ethics Committee process and defend myself there. At this point, though, I am unwilling to put my loved ones through any more of this,” he continued.
Zabel previously announced that he would not be resigning his post amid allegations that he sexually harassed union lobbyist Andi Perez outside of the Pennsylvania State Capitol building in 2019.
Perez reported the incident at the time, but was unable to file an official complaint due to House rules that sexual harassment claims could only be filed by House members and employees. In January, Perez fought to change that rule by testifying before the legislature about the alleged incident, though she did not explicitly name Zabel at that time.
Republican state Rep. Abby Major brought forth new allegations of inappropriate behavior by Zabel during a news conference dedicated to International Women’s Day on March 8. Major alleged that in November she was approached by an intoxicated Zabel, who complimented her appearance and put his arm around her.
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