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By Hugh Cameron
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The sexual misconduct allegations facing former California Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell has increased calls for transparency and accountability among elected officials, with scrutiny now turning to the so-called “slush fund” used to settle accusers’ claims.
“A friendly reminder that House Oversight subpoenaed the records of the congressional sexual harassment slush fund and we will be releasing them,” Florida Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna posted to X on Wednesday. “Maybe we’ll see more resignations, you never know.”
Newsweek contacted Luna’s office outside of regular working hours for further comment.
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What Is the 'Slush Fund'?
Congress has for decades had a taxpayer-funded system for settling workplace disputes, including sexual harassment, created under the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995.
Such disputes have been handled by the Office of Compliance, later renamed the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights (OCWR), with settlements paid from the U.S. Treasury and the names of the lawmakers involved rarely disclosed.
Critics, including watchdog groups as well as those on Capitol Hill, have argued that the system protected members of Congress from accountability and that taxpayer funds should not be used to resolve complaints concerning individual lawmakers.
How Much Money Was Paid Out?
According to data from the agency, the OCWR paid out over $18 million to settle nearly 300 workplace disputes—related to pay, discrimination, harassment and other issues—between 1997 and 2019. These disputes concerned Congress, the Capitol Police, the Architect of the Capitol, and the Library of Congress.
These sums have grown calls for further transparency, with the nonprofit OpenTheBooks writing in 2021: “After 23 years and $18 million in payouts from the Workplace Rights office, it seems like taxpayers might have a right to know more details.”
What Has Changed Since the System Was Exposed?
Following criticism during the #MeToo movement, Congress passed reforms in 2018 requiring members of Congress to repay the cost of the settlements covered by the Treasury, with other reforms also enacted aimed at increasing transparency and accountability.
Despite the reforms, key questions about the “slush fund” remain unanswered, including concerning the scale of past settlements and ongoing investigations, Republicans in Congress have in recent years pushed for more information regarding the “slush fund.”
And 2026 has seen further interest in the issue. Last month, the House Oversight Committee passed Representative Nancy Mace’s motion to subpoena the OCWR, which demanded “the release of all awards and settlements paid pursuant to Section 415 of the Congressional Accountability Act prior to December 12, 2018 for misconduct by Members of Congress.”
“Today, the members who voted for our subpoenas chose transparency over secrecy and accountability over cover-ups," Mace said. “We will not stay silent while the American people are kept in the dark. Not on the Epstein files. Not on the taxpayer-funded settlements members of Congress used to hide their own misconduct. Today brings us one step closer to the truth the establishment has tried so hard to keep buried."
And according to Luna, these records may soon be made public.
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