AP: Sexual misconduct claims adding up in state legislatures
Dozens of state lawmakers nationwide have been accused of sexual harassment or misconduct since the beginning of 2017, particularly since last fall when the #MeToo movement gained momentum. Here is a look at those who have resigned, been expelled, faced other repercussions or had accusations made public about them since then:
RESIGNED OR REMOVED FROM OFFICE
1. Alaska: Rep. Dean Westlake, D, submitted resignation letter Dec. 15 after being accused by several women of inappropriate behavior.
2. Arizona: Rep. Don Shooter, R, expelled from office Feb. 1 by an overwhelming House vote after an investigation substantiated a lengthy pattern of sexual harassment toward women, including a fellow lawmaker.
3. California: Assemblyman Matt Dababneh, D, resigned effective Jan. 1 after a lobbyist said he pushed her into a bathroom during a Las Vegas social event and engaged in lewd behavior in front of her.
4. California: Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra, D, resigned in November after allegations that he had kissed or groped multiple women without their consent.
5. California: Sen. Tony Mendoza, D, resigned Feb. 22 after an investigation found he likely engaged in unwanted "flirtatious or sexually suggestive" behavior with six women, including four subordinates, a lobbyist and a young woman in a fellowship with another lawmaker.
6. Colorado: Rep. Steve Lebsock, D, expelled from office March 2 by an overwhelming House vote after an independent investigator determined there were credible claims he had harassed five women, including a fellow lawmaker. Elected as a Democrat, Lebsock changed his party affiliation to Republican on the day he was expelled.
7. Connecticut: Rep. Angel Arce, D, resigned effective April 9 after the Hartford Courant reported that he had sent affectionate text messages to a 16-year-old girl in 2015.
8. Florida: Sen. Jack Latvala, R, resigned effective Jan. 5 following allegations of sexual misconduct raised by multiple women.
9. Florida: Sen. Jeff Clemens, D, resigned in Oct. 27 shortly after a news report that he had extramarital affair with a lobbyist. The House speaker had said that because a lobbyist is dependent on legislators, "the facts here raise a very real question of sexual harassment."
10 Hawaii: Rep. Joseph Souki, D, agreed March 21 to resign by the end of the month as part of a State Ethics Commission settlement of allegations that he sexually harassed multiple women by subjecting them to unwanted kissing, touching and sexual language. The settlement also calls for him to pay $5,000 to the state, make a public apology and not seek office for two years.
11. Iowa Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix, R, resigned March 12 after a website published video of the married lawmaker kissing a lobbyist at a bar. Though the Senate's ethics code doesn't explicitly prohibit lawmaker-lobbyist relationships, it says senators should strive to avoid "the appearance of unethical" conduct, and some have raised questions about whether their relationship affected legislation.
12. Minnesota: Sen. Dan Schoen, D, resigned effective Dec. 15 following several allegations from women.
13. Minnesota: Rep. Tony Cornish, R, resigned effective Nov. 30 following several allegations, including from a lobbyist who said he repeatedly propositioned her for sex.
14. Mississippi: Rep. John Moore, R, resigned in December after multiple women made complaints against him; the House speaker's office said he had been facing an investigation led by an outside lawyer.
15. Nevada: Sen. Mark Manendo, D, resigned in July after a law firm concluded that he violated the Legislature's anti-harassment policy and behaved inappropriately toward female staffers and lobbyists.
16 Ohio: Sen. Clifford Hite, R, resigned Oct. 16 after being accused of sexually harassing a female state employee.
17. Ohio: Rep. Wes Goodman, R, resigned Nov. 15 after the married lawmaker acknowledged having a sexual encounter in his office with another man; the House speaker said Goodman had engaged in "inappropriate behavior related to his state office."
18. Oklahoma: Rep. Dan Kirby, R, resigned in February 2017 after two former assistants alleged he sexually harassed them, including one with whom he had reached a confidential wrongful-termination settlement that included a $44,500 payment from House funds.
19. Oklahoma: Sen. Ralph Shortey, R, resigned in March 2017 and later pleaded guilty to a federal charge of child sex trafficking after being accused of hiring a 17-year-old boy for sex.
20. Oklahoma: Sen. Bryce Marlatt, R, resigned in September after being charged with sexual battery for allegedly groping an Uber driver who picked him up from a restaurant in the capital city.
UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy: