Rep. John Conyers has stepped down as ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee after a congressional investigation into sexual harassment and workplace abuse allegations by former staffers.
It comes as calls grow louder for his resignation, with his constituents sharing mixed opinions on whether he should step down.
Many told Channel 7 that they don't think he should leave office given the fact that the allegations aren't yet proven to be true. Some said they were willing to look the other way, even if they were true, while others said Conyers should step down amid the investigation to make way for men without questionable character.
Patricia Nemeth, often called on to investigate allegations of sexual harassment at companies and organizations, says the key is letting the process play out before coming to any conclusions.
She says constituents can easily be affected "confirmation bias."
"If you like them, you say oh well, that’s who this person is...so I’m not gonna believe that. If you don’t like them, you say that’s exactly who I thought they were," Nemeth explained.
It's unclear how long it will take for an ethics probe to be completed, but Nemeth says she has confidence the committee will credibly carry out the investigation.
Conyers has expressly and strongly DENIED the allegations.
