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Colorado Dem House speaker strips Dem of chairmanship after harassment allegations, urges him to ...
Colorado Dem House speaker strips Dem of chairmanship after harassment allegations, urges him to resignA national cascade of sexual assault allegations against public figures and fallout from them has reached the Colorado statehouse— and with very different results when it comes to partisan wagon circling.
Today, Democratic House Speaker Crisanta Duran stripped Thornton Democratic Rep. Steve Lebsock from his chairmanship of a local government committee and indicated he should “do the right thing” and resign following a bombshell report by KUNC that cited nine legislators, staffers and lobbyists alleging Lebsock harassed women. Lebsock is also running a statewide race for state treasurer.
From KUNC’s report:
Rep. Faith Winter said Lebsock tried to get her to leave a bar with him in 2016. Both were attending a party to celebrate the end of the legislative session. Lawmakers, lobbyists, staff, the governor and members of the media attended the event a few blocks from the Capitol Building. Winter alleges that Lebsock suggested sexual acts the two could do to make each other happy because it was the end of the legislative session and they deserved to be happy.
Winter is also a Democrat.
“While my formal role in investigating complaints established under Joint Rule 38 prohibits me from making initial judgments about the facts, these numerous allegations would represent a major breach of decorum, and I would expect that Rep. Lebsock would consider the impact of his actions on his colleagues and the public confidence in our institution, and do the right thing and resign,” said Speaker Duran in a statement. “There is no place for those types of actions at the legislature.” A spokesman for Duran said she wouldn’t comment to The Denver Post about why she elevated Lebsock to a committee chairmanship when she knew of allegations against him since 2016.
Read more: http://www.coloradoindependent.com/167572/colorado-steve-lebsock-allegations-democrat