Rising star lawmaker took steep fall after sex allegations

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee state Rep. Jeremy Durham was a vocal young conservative and a rising legislative star, unafraid to pick fights with fellow Republican legislators or the popular GOP governor. But his increasingly erratic behavior and mounting sexual harassment allegations finally caught up with him when the chamber voted 70-2 to expel him.

The vote Tuesday to oust Durham, who represented the Nashville suburb of Franklin, followed an attorney general's investigation outlining lurid allegations of improper sexual contact with at least 22 women during his four years in office.

After preliminary results of the investigation were released last spring, Durham was even exiled by the Republican House speaker to an office away from other lawmakers, staff and lobbyists.

Durham, who has said he's a victim of a Republican establishment vendetta, spoke in the House well Tuesday in one final effort to avoid becoming to the first state lawmaker to be ousted in 36 years.

Read more: http://www.statesman.com/ap/ap/us/rising-star-lawmaker-took-steep-fall-after-sex-all/nsXrc/