Former Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer (Calif.) said on Tuesday that she believes the women who accused Rep. John Conyers (D., Mich.) of sexual misconduct will be "proven right."
Although Boxer did not call for Conyers to resign, she did tell MSNBC anchor Craig Melvin during an interview that she thinks the congressman will pay the price for his actions, NTK Network reported.
Multiple women over the past eight days have come forward with accusations of sexual harassment against Conyers, leading the Michigan Democrat to step down as ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, though he has denied the allegations.
Melvin asked Boxer whether she thinks that Conyers should resign from Congress.
"That's up to him, but I'll tell you right now, the light needs to shine on this. He did the right thing by stepping down. He was the ranking member on Judiciary. And he's going to pay the price for this," Boxer said. "Because when three women come forward with similar stories of harassment and abuse, at the end of the day, as he said, I think they will be proven right. They don't gain anything from this."
The former California senator also said that this is a "sad chapter" in Conyer's life after he fought for "equality and justice."
"But it appears as if in the way he ran his office he did not put those elements into practice," Boxer said. "He did not treat them fairly. He did not respect them. And that's how I feel about it."
"It's up to him as far as whether he should resign or wait to see what the investigation turns up," Boxer added.