The New York Post
Republican congressman resigns amid report he offered ex-staffer $5 million to carry his baby
Published: Dec. 8, 2017 at 4:27 p.m. ET
Amanda Woods
Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) arrives ahead of FBI Director Christopher Wray testifying before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., December 7, 2017.
Arizona Rep. Trent Franks offered a former female staffer $5 million to carry his child, it was reported Friday, as the congressman announced he's resigning immediately instead of the end of next month.
The ex-staffer said Franks asked at least four times if she'd be willing to act as a surrogate in exchange for money.
The Associated Press verified the identity of the staffer, who asked that her name be withheld out of concern for her privacy, and confirmed that she worked in Franks' office.
Franks, one of the wealthiest members of Congress, claimed in a statement he was leaving Congress immediately because his wife had been rushed to a hospital.
"Last night, my wife was admitted to the hospital in Washington, D.C. due to an ongoing ailment," Franks said.
"After discussing options with my family, we came to the conclusion that the best thing for our family now would be for me to tender my previous resignation effective today, December 8th, 2017."
On Thursday, in his resignation statement, Franks admitted he discussed "the option" of surrogacy with two former female staffers. But he didn't mention the $5 million offer.
The House Ethics Committee voted unanimously to open an investigation into Franks' behavior.
The committee said it wanted to determine "whether Representative Franks engaged in conduct that constitutes sexual harassment and/or retaliation for opposing sexual harassment."
Franks, a self-described Reagan Republican, was first elected in 2002.
This story originally appeared at Nypost.com
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