California Democratic Rep. Katie Hill has officially resigned from her elected position in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to a statement released Sunday.
Hill, who quickly became embroiled in scandal in recent weeks after news – and more than a few photos – were publicized showing her in an elicit sexual relationship with several of her staffers, including one female campaign worker who had been engaged in a “throuple” relationship with Hill and her husband, Kenny Heslep. A House Ethics Committee inquiry had been launched concerning the situation.
“It is with a broken heart that today I announce my resignation from Congress. This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but I believe it is the best thing for my constituents, my community, and our country,” Hill wrote on Twitter.
“This is what needs to happen so that the good people who supported me will no longer be subjected to the pain inflicted by my abusive husband and the brutality of hateful political operatives who seem to happily provide a platform to a monster who is driving a smear campaign built around cyber exploitation,” she went on in her statement.
"I'm not a perfect person and never pretended to be," Hill wrote. "It's one of the things that made my race so special. I hope it showed others that they do belong, that their voice does matter, and that they do have a plan in this country."
Hill continued, however, that she and her team are currently exploring their legal options against publications that shared explicit photos of her engaged in sexual relations with her staffers, including several showing the congresswoman topless, and another showing her holding a bong.
“Having private photos of personal moments weaponized against me has been an appalling invasion of my privacy. It’s also illegal, and we are currently pursuing all of our available legal options.”
It is with a broken heart that today I announce my resignation from Congress. This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but I believe it is the best thing for my constituents, my community, and our country.
— Rep. Katie Hill (@RepKatieHill) October 27, 2019
See my official statement below. pic.twitter.com/nG97RQIwvO
(Cover Photo: Gage Skidmore)