Blake Farenthold

Blake Farenthold
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Texas's 27th district
In office
January 3, 2011 – April 6, 2018
Preceded bySolomon Ortiz
Succeeded byMichael Cloud
Personal details
Born
Randolph Blake Farenthold

(1961-12-12) December 12, 1961 (age 62)
Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseDebbie Farenthold
Children2
EducationUniversity of Texas at Austin (BS)
St. Mary's University, Texas (JD)

Randolph Blake Farenthold (born December 12, 1961) is an American politician and lobbyist.[1][2] A member of the Republican Party, Farenthold co-hosted a conservative talk-radio program before beginning a career in politics. Farenthold served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 27th congressional district from 2011 until his resignation in April 2018 in the wake of reports he used public funds to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit and had created an intensely hostile work environment for women in his congressional office.[3][4][5][6] Upon resigning, Farenthold pledged to reimburse the US$84,000 in public money that he used to settle the lawsuit. He later reneged on his pledge to repay.[2][7]

  1. ^ Representative Randolph Blake Farenthold (Blake) (R-Texas, 27th) Biography from LegiStorm.
  2. ^ a b "Disgraced former GOP congressman lands lucrative lobbying gig". NBC News. Associated Press. May 14, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  3. ^ Bade, Rachael (December 1, 2017). "Lawmaker behind secret $84K sexual harassment settlement unmasked". Politico.
  4. ^ Yamiche Alcindor & Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Taxpayers Paid $84,000 to End Sex Harassment Claim Against Texas Lawmaker, The New York Times (December 1, 2017), "...In 2014, the congressman's former communications director, Lauren Greene, accused him of regularly making comments to gauge her interest in a sexual relationship....Farenthold of drinking "to excess" on numerous occasions..."
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Viebeck, Elise (May 15, 2018). "Ex-Rep. Farenthold says he won't repay $84K sexual harassment settlement". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 11, 2018. 'I will say this on the record: I have been advised by my attorneys not to repay that,' Farenthold told [ABC News]. 'That's why it hasn't been repaid.'