GOP Rep. Tom Reed Apologizes After Groping Claim, Won't Run For Any Office In 2022

Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) apologized after a former lobbyist accused him of groping her in 2017 and said he would not run for any political office when his current term in Congress expires in 2022.

On Friday, Nicolette Davis said Reed inappropriately touched her while they were on a political trip four years ago. Davis first told The Washington Post that Reed appeared to be drunk during a networking event and touched her back, unclasped her bra and put his hand on her thigh without her consent. She was 25 at the time.

Reed, who had been weighing a bid against embattled New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), apologized in a lengthy statement on Sunday and said he would not run for any elected position, governor included, in 2022.

“Even though I am only hearing of this matter as stated by Ms. Davis in the article now, I hear her voice and will not dismiss her,” Reed said in a statement. “In reflection, my personal depiction of this event is irrelevant. Simply put, my behavior caused her pain, showed her disrespect and was unprofessional.”

Reed went on to say that he was “struggling” at the time and had entered treatment for alcohol abuse in 2017.

“I am now approaching four years of that personal lifelong journey of recovery,” he said, before adding: “This is in no way an excuse for anything I’ve done. Consistent with my recovery, I publicly take ownership.”

Shortly after the Post published its story, Reed issued a terse response, saying: “This account of my actions is not accurate.” But he walked back that statement and said he would “strive to be a better human being” and that he hoped his formal apology was “just the start.”

The lawmaker said Sunday he was also abiding by earlier promises from when he was first elected to Congress in 2010 that he would not serve more than six terms or 12 years in office.

The chairman of the New York Republican Party said he believed Reed “made the right decision” in a statement to The New York Times.

“I hope that this can bring some peace for Ms. Davis, who made very serious allegations that deserved to be heard,” the chairman, Nick Langworthy, told the publication.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.