An employment lawsuit that a former staffer brought against GOP Rep. Doug Lamborn has been settled out of court.
Brandon Pope claimed he was fired for complaining about Lamborn and the office’s unsafe approach to COVID-19 at a time when many other workplaces were allowing remote work, socially distancing and wearing masks.
Lamborn denied the allegations.
The settlement resulted from mediation with a Magistrate judge, even as both parties continue to disagree on the merit of the allegations.
“There has not been any admission of guilt or wrongdoing associated with this resolution,” said Cassandra Sebastian, Communications Director for Lamborn. “And Congressman Lamborn absolutely maintains that at all times, he and his office used best efforts to comply with all legal and ethical requirements.”
Confidentiality provisions preclude parties from revealing the details of the settlement, Sebastian added.
While the legal case has been settled, an ethics investigation into some of the allegations Pope made against Lamborn remains open. In his initial suit, Pope gave examples that he claimed showed Lamborn using office staff to conduct personal errands for his family, such as helping Lamborn’s son prep for job interviews, as well as run campaign errands.
Last year the House Ethics committee said it would continue to review allegations that Lamborn misused official resources for personal and non-official purposes, and solicited improper gifts from subordinates. As of the end of the 117th Congress, the committee reported that it “had not completed its investigation into this matter.”
