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Conyers Retires after New Woman Says He Groped Her in Church

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U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., announced today he's retiring from Congress after multiple women accused him of sexual harassment and misconduct.

He says he wants his son to replace him in Congress.

The 88-year-old congressman made the announcement while speaking with Detroit radio talk show host Mildred Gaddis. "I'm in the process of putting my retirement plans together," he said. "I am retiring today."

The announcement came after another woman made a sexual allegation against the congressman.

Elisa Grubbs says she worked for Conyers, 88, for more than a decade. She says Conyers slid his hand up her skirt and rubbed her thighs while she was sitting next to him during services in a church.

Grubbs is the cousin of Marion Brown who settled with Conyers over sexual harassment allegations but spoke out last week, breaking a confidentiality agreement. Her attorney, Lisa Bloom posted the affidavit on Twitter and confirmed to the Associated Press that it was authentic.

Grubbs' affidavit says she worked for the congressman from 2001 to 2013. 

"Rep. Conyers slid his hand up my skirt and rubbed my thighs while I was sitting next to him in the front row of a church," Grubbs said. "I was startled and sprang to my feet and exclaimed, 'He just ran his hand up my thigh!' Other staffers witnessed the event."

She also said that she saw Conyers touching and stroking the legs and buttocks of Brown and other female staffers on "multiple occasions."

Grubbs said witnessing such harassment "was a regular part of life while working in the office of Rep. Conyers."

After the new allegations surfaced, Conyers appeared on that Detroit radio show Tuesday morning to talk about his plans.

The Democrat is the longest-serving current House member.

Conyers had returned to Detroit last week and was hospitalized after feeling light-headed. His health would be a huge consideration in whether he decides to vacate his House seat, according to his attorney. Conyers already resigned from his position as the top member of the House Foreign Relations Committee. 

Some of the Michigan congressman's colleagues in the House, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., had called for his resignation. The House Ethics Committee has been conducting an investigation into the allegations.

A number of Detroit's elected leaders and business people in the community rallied Monday in support of Conyers.

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