DETROIT – An attorney representing Rep. John Conyers said Thursday the congressman will not be pressured to resign from his seat amid allegations of sexual harassment.
Attorney Arnold Reed spoke about an hour after House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called for the long-tenured Conyers to resign from his seat.
"It is not up to Nancy Pelosi. Nancy Pelosi did not elect the congressman and she sure as hell won't be the one to tell the congressman to leave," said Reed. "That decision will be completely up to the congressman. He's not thought about that. He's thinking about his health, he's thinking about getting well."
Reed said Conyers faces three or four sexual harassment allegations.
"He is not going to be pressured by Nancy Pelosi or anyone else to step down. The decision will be made by Congressman Conyers as to what his next course is," said Reed.
Conyers hospitalized in Michigan
Reed said Conyers is hospitalized after experiencing light-headedness, dizziness and shortness of breath. He had returned to Michigan earlier in the week after he stepped down from his position as ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee over the weekend and denied the allegations.
Sources told Local 4 on Wednesday that Conyers will not seek re-election for a new term in the wake of the scandal, which continues to grow. Two sources close to the Conyers situation told Local 4 that the congressman won't resign. It's his intent to announce in January that he won't run for re-election in 2018.
His attorney said the allegations are not true, but Conyers is under increased scrutiny, and his family is rallying around him.
Conyers accuser speaks out
Early Thursday morning, a woman who accuses Conyers of sexually harassing her while she worked for him spoke on NBC's TODAY Show. Marion Brown described what she claims Conyers did to her while she worked for him.
"Some of the things that he did, it was sexual harassment," she said. "Violating my body, propositioning me, inviting me to hotels with the guise of discussing business, and then propositioning for sex. He just violated my body. He has touched me in different ways, and it was very uncomfortable and very unprofessional."
Conyers settled a sexual harassment claim with her back in 2015.
Reed criticized her for "jumping on the bandwagon."
"She had an opportunity 15 years ago to come out, and she didn't, but she is jumping on the bandwagon now," he said.
Watch Reed's full news conference above.