Democrats Move Swiftly Against Conyers Amid Latest Harassment Charges

“The allegations against Ranking Member Conyers are extremely serious and deeply troubling,” said Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, the second most senior Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. “There can be no tolerance for behavior that subjects women to the kind of conduct alleged.”

A group of Democrats from across the caucus had pushed for such a move at the start of the year, but were beaten back by Mr. Conyers and allied lawmakers, according to House Democrats familiar with the matter. Since then, they said, it has been commonly understood that this term would be Mr. Conyers’s last atop the committee.

Mr. Nadler and Representative Zoe Lofgren of California have made clear to fellow Democrats that they intend to run to succeed Mr. Conyers should he step aside. After Mr. Conyers, they are the two most senior Democratic members of the committee.

.. Mr. Conyers also pointed to the amount of money paid to his accuser — $27,111.75, according to documents obtained by BuzzFeed — in defending himself.

.. “The resolution was not for millions of dollars, but rather for an amount that equated to a reasonable severance payment,” Mr. Conyers said in the statement.

Debra Katz, a Washington lawyer who often works on sexual harassment cases, however, said the “outrageously low” amount illustrated deep flaws in the process.

“Even with these very serious allegations, the victim of harassment received a very paltry settlement, which is typical of what happens when people even with the strongest claims come forward,” Ms. Katz said.