Democrat Rep. Jason Crow is calling for the resignation of Secretary of Veteran Affairs Robert Wilkie and for an investigation into the role a Texas congressman played in a smear campaign against a House staffer. 

The call comes after a report from the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General showed that VA senior leadership discredited and covered-up a sexual assault case that targeted a House staffer who is a veteran, according to a news release.

“I’m shocked by the Inspector General’s report that VA Secretary Wilkie and (Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas) engaged in a smear campaign against a female veteran who was alleging sexual abuse. Secretary Wilkie has betrayed the trust of the very veterans he is obligated to protect, and for this betrayal he must resign immediately. I also call for an immediate into the role of Congressman Crenshaw in this smear campaign,” said Crow, the lone veteran in Colorado’s congressional delegation. 

“Both our VA system and the military have a problem with sexual harassment, assault and violence,” Crow said in the release. “If those at the very top can’t abide by the standards we are trying to set then they must leave immediately.”

Crow serves on the House Armed Services Committee along with fellow Coloradan U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn, a Republican.

Other Democratic lawmakers, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and various veteran organizations like the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion joined Crow in calling for Wilkie’s resignation on Saturday.

“Secretary Wilkie has not only been derelict in his duty to combat sexual harassment, but has been complicit in the continuation of a VA culture that tolerates this epidemic. He has lost the trust and confidence to serve, and he must immediately resigned,” Pelosi said in a news release.

As of 12:30 p.m. Saturday, eight Democratic representatives and 11 veteran organizations had called for Wilkie’s resignation. 

Earlier this year, Crow helped introduce a bipartisan act that would move prosecution decisions regarding sexual assault and harassment cases outside of the chain and make sexual harassment a military offense. 

The act also reformed the way service members report these allegations and require the Department of Defense and Government Accountability office to evaluate each case. 

“Sexual assault and violence have been a problem for far too long, but we won’t let it continue. Change starts with leadership, and leadership starts with accountability,” Crow said.