Rep. John Delaney (D., Md.) on Monday called the scandal involving Rep. Elizabeth Esty's (D., Conn.) office "terrible" and said his colleague needs to have a "serious conversation with her constituents."
Delaney joined Wolf Blitzer on CNN where the host asked about accusations, which emerged following a Washington Post report last week, that Esty mishandled allegations of abuse and sexual harassment in her office.
"Well, this is a terrible situation, right? We should be making sure that our offices are safe for our employees," Delaney said. "Congressional offices aren't that big. There are eight to 12 people in our offices on the Hill, and it's one of our primary obligations to make sure this is a safe place for our employees. That clearly didn't happen in Elizabeth's office."
Esty kept on chief of staff Tony Baker for three months after hearing allegations he was violent, made threats against, and harassed a fellow Esty advisor who had since left the office. On Monday, Esty called for the House Ethics Committee to investigate her handling of the matter. The congresswoman ultimately cowrote a letter of recommendation for Baker, and he left to work for the gun control group Sandy Hook Promise with $5,000 in severance pay.
"She's said she made a mistake," Delaney said. "I think she should be having a serious conversation with her constituents about whether they really trust her to go forward in this job."