U.S. congressman Conyers hospitalized, lawyer says

WASHINGTON - Democratic Representative John Conyers, who is facing several sexual harassment allegations, has been hospitalized, an attorney for Conyers said on Thursday.

Conyers, 88, who has served in Congress since 1964, returned to Detroit on Tuesday, although the House of Representatives is still in session.

'Congressman John Conyers has taken ill and is currently hospitalized,” attorney Arnold Reed said on Twitter.

Reed did not say why Conyers had been hospitalized, although local media in Detroit, Michigan, said the congressman's ailments were stress-related. Reed said he would release more details on Conyers' condition later on Thursday.

Conyers has stepped down as the senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, but has faced calls from some lawmakers to resign from the House entirely. The House has launched an ethics probe into his behavior.

Republican and Democratic House members on Wednesday introduced a bill that would bar public funds from being used to settle sexual harassment claims against members and require previously made payments to be made public.

Conyers reportedly used public funds to settle a claim from a woman who worked in his office.

There has been a flurry of sexual harassment and misconduct allegations in recent weeks against public figures, including former Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein, Democratic Senator Al Franken and Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore.