California Rep. Katie Hill resigns amid scandal

WASHINGTON — Rep. Katie Hill, D-Calif., resigned Sunday after allegations that she engaged in an affair with a congressional aide were made public earlier this month.

Hill announced the resignation in a statement, saying she was stepping down “with a broken heart.”

It is with a broken heart that today I announce my resignation from Congress. 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.

See my official statement below. pic.twitter.com/nG97RQIwvO

— Rep. Katie Hill (@RepKatieHill) October 27, 2019

The resignation marks a dramatic fall for Hill, who was elected to Congress as part of the “blue wave” that allowed Democrats to take the House in 2018. She had been a regular presence on cable news shows and a leader among House freshman Democrats.

Last week, the House Ethics Committee announced it was investigating whether Hill “may have engaged in a sexual relationship with an individual on her congressional staff,” an allegation Hill has denied. House rules were changed last year to prohibit relationships between members and their employees.

In a letter to constituents Wednesday, Hill again denied the alleged relationship with a House staff member, but acknowledged she was involved in a separate relationship with a member of her campaign staff “during the final tumultuous years of my abusive marriage.”

“I know that even a consensual relationship with a subordinate is inappropriate, but I still allowed it to happen despite my better judgment,” the letter read.

The conservative website RedState published a series of articles alleging that Hill had engaged in relationships with a member of her campaign staff and a House staffer.

Just In: Freshman Rep. Katie Hill to resign amid allegations of affair with a hill staffer. "It is with a broken heart that today I announce my resignation from Congress," Hill tweeted Sunday. pic.twitter.com/6txPY4UtTA

— Kasie DC (@KasieDC) October 27, 2019

On Tuesday, Hill denied having a relationship with the House staff member and said she had contacted U.S. Capitol Police after intimate photos of her and another person had been published by the website. The statement Tuesday made no mention of the alleged relationship with her campaign staffer.

Hill, who is in divorce proceedings with her husband of nine years, Kenneth Heslep, claimed Heslep “seems determined to try to humiliate me.”