When embattled Democrat Congressmen John Conyers "retired" on Tuesday, he tapped his son, John Conyers III, to succeed him in the House.
But aside from the glaring nepotism and ethical questions surrounding the rep's endorsement of his 27-year-old son, there's one small problem: Conyers III was arrested for allegedly stabbing his girlfriend in February of this year.
As (under)stated by The New York Times: "As issues of sexual harassment and abuse roil Washington, any violent altercation against a woman could doom his effort to take the seat that his father held since 1965."
The former aspiring rapper, with a whole host of inspirational lyrics, was arguing with his girlfriend on Valentine's Day around 3 a.m., when a physical altercation broke out and Conyers III was arrested.
"She says I stabbed her, which makes no sense," said Conyers III. "I didn’t do this. She and I had a verbal altercation and that escalated. She pulled the knife on me. She was chasing me. I tried to take it from her. There was a struggle. I pinned her to the wall. She kept swinging and she cut herself."
Though the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office eventually dropped the charges, the alleged victim obtained a restraining order on Conyers III, which remains active until March of 2018, notes the Times.
"At no point did I initiate contact with any objects," said Conyers III. "All criminal charges were dismissed and a restraining order was entered as a cooling off measure. The authorities did not see any need to proceed further."
The 27-year-old said the two have since split and have not spoken to each other in months. They dated for around two and a half years prior to the incident.
"I apologize, and I am regretful for any part I played in escalating the altercation," said Conyers III.
Former Rep. Conyers was pressured into leaving office after several women came forward to accuse the 88-year-old of sexual harassment and assault. In one report, Conyers was said to have shelled out $27,000 of taxpayer money in a private settlement with a former staffer who claimed the politician unfairly fired her after she declined his sexual advances.
Conyers III has been a vocal defender of his father since the accusations hit, and in the past he's even bragged about his father being a "f***ing player."
But he's not positive he wants to run. "I didn’t ask my dad to say that I was going to run because I don’t know if I am going to run," he said. "I was extremely caught off guard by his endorsement. This is what he wants. Who am I to tell him what he wants?"