Former Rep. Blake Farenthold, who left office amid harassment allegations, dies at 63

The former congressman had experienced heart and liver issues, according to his former political consultant.

Former U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, who left Congress amid sexual harassment allegations, has died. He was 63.

He died in a Corpus Christi hospital and suffered heart and liver problems in recent years, Steve Ray, his former longtime political consultant, said. Farenthold’s wife, Debbie Farenthold, confirmed that he died Friday.

Farenthold was elected in 2010, upsetting long-serving Democratic U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz. Seven years later, Farenthold announced that he wouldn’t seek reelection.

In a video he posted on his campaign’s Facebook page at the time, he denied a former aide’s three-year-old accusations, which included that he’d subjected her to sexually suggestive comments and behavior and then fired her after she complained. He apologized for an office atmosphere he said included “destructive gossip, offhand comments, off-color jokes and behavior that in general was less than professional.”

He said in the video that if he stayed in Congress, he would have spent months trying to vindicate himself.