ONE-SIDED

GOP Rep. Meehan: I Saw Young Aide as ‘Soul Mate’ but Never Harassed Her

Developed a deep “affection” for the woman but denies going further.

While denying that he sexually harassed a younger aide, Rep. Pat Meehan (R-PA) claimed Tuesday that he simply developed a deep “affection” for her. Meehan, 62, told the Philly Inquirer that he considered her “a soul mate” and “they talked over ice cream one night last year,” but he had never pursued a romantic relationship with the woman. After Meehan found out that the woman had entered a relationship with another man, he said he reacted “selfishly,” but later wrote her a letter thanking God for “putting [her] into [his] life and for all that [they] have seen and experienced and genuinely shared together.” These comments come after a New York Times report that Meehan had used taxpayer money to settle a sexual-harassment claim from the former aide. Meehan still intends to run for reelection in 2018.