The Louisville Democratic Party is asking Rep. Daniel Grossberg to “temporarily refrain from participating” in the party’s events amid a Legislative Ethics Commission investigation.
Meanwhile, the executive director of the state Democratic Party said situations involving a few state representatives from Louisville have “certainly been concerning” but pushed back on suggestions that they could hurt the state party’s overall image.
Grossberg, a freshman legislator from Louisville, has sought to dismiss a complaint to the commission filed against him by House Democratic leadership that alleges inappropriate behavior and communications toward women. He’s also been removed from his interim committee assignments following the allegations, which were first reported by the Lexington Herald-Leader. Grossberg has previously denied “any impropriety” in a statement to the newspaper.
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In its statement shared online Thursday morning, the Louisville Democratic Party said its executive committee “is unwavering in its commitment to create a safe and respectful environment for everyone.” It also reaffirmed that the party is committed to “ending all forms of harassment by fostering a culture of inclusivity, providing robust support systems, and holding ourselves accountable.” The party added that “every individual deserves an environment free from harassment” and wants to “ensure this standard is met.”
“Though we understand the claims against Representative Grossberg are allegations at this point in time, we are asking that he temporarily refrain from participating in LDP events and meetings while the Legislative Ethics Commission investigation is in process,” the party’s statement said.
Grossberg said in a statement shared by his attorney, Anna Whites, that he appreciated “the Louisville Democratic Party’s concern for all parties in this matter.”
“I will continue to focus on serving constituents while the Ethics Commission completes its review,” he said.
Kentucky state law makes the ethics commission’s proceedings, including complaints and other records related to a preliminary inquiry, confidential until the commission makes a final determination. However, Grossberg’s response to seeking dismissal of the complaint gave insight into allegations against him, which included refuting text messages highlighted in media reports and helping another lawmaker navigate “unwanted communications.”
The controversy around Grossberg is one of several embarrassing situations involving Louisville Democrats in the Kentucky House. This week, Rep. Beverly Chester-Burton was arrested for driving under the influence in Jefferson County early Tuesday morning. Rep. Nima Kulkarni was disqualified from the primary election by the Kentucky Supreme Court after an issue with her candidacy papers, though she appears to have a path onto the November ballot.
In a Wednesday press conference about labor policies, Kentucky Democratic Party Executive Director Morgan Eaves responded to suggestions that the state party’s overall image is at risk, adding that she was more concerned with making sure “the individuals involved” have support. Eaves said “the allegations that have come out recently against different representatives have certainly been concerning” and that “we are in conversations with those folks.”
“Safety in the workplace, personal dignity — those are tenets of our party,” Eaves said. “We are always concerned when either a candidate or an elected official appears to skirt some of those tenets, but we also respect the due process of folks, and when you have investigations involved, I think we need to see those through while having serious conversations amongst ourselves about what that means for the party and what that means for individuals affected.”
Previously, the executive board of Kentucky Young Democrats called on Grossberg to resign after reviewing evidence it had seen at the time and “the experiences of multiple board members.” In a statement earlier this month, it said some of its members had related their “own stories detailing Rep. Grossberg’s inappropriate behavior toward them.”
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Written by McKenna Horsley. Cross-posted from the Kentucky Lantern.
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