Sloan — who becomes the first former employee of Conyers to publicly allege misbehavior by the congressman, a civil rights legend and longtime advocate for the poor and underprivileged — said her first inclination was to talk without using her name.

“Then I thought, ‘This is what’s wrong in Washington. No one will ever say anything publicly,’ ” she said, noting the widespread rumors of misconduct across the nation’s capital and a system that encourages people who are abused to stay quiet for fear of hurting their careers by not appearing loyal to people in power.