Texas Panel Recommends GOP Lawmaker Be Expelled for Sexual Misconduct

Texas Panel Recommends GOP Lawmaker Be Expelled for Sexual Misconduct

Texas lawmaker, who previously said drag queen story hours would sexualize children, should be expelled for sexual misconduct with a teenage intern, committee says

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• A Texas legislative committee recommended a lawmaker be expelled for inappropriate conduct, per the Associated Press.
• The committee report said GOP Rep. Bryan Slaton, 45, had sex with a 19-year-old intern.
• The report also said he abused his position of power and engaged in harassment.

A committee within the Texas legislature has recommended a lawmaker be expelled for his inappropriate sexual conduct with a teenage intern. 

The House General Investigative Committee unanimously recommended Republican Rep. Bryan Slaton, 45, be expelled after his sexual contact with a 19-year-old intern came to light, The Associated Press reported. 

Slaton and his attorney did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on Sunday, but his attorneys previously called the claims "outrageous" and "false," the AP reported. An investigation into the lawmaker's conduct began after two 19-year-old legislative aides and one 21-year-old intern filed complaints last month.

Slaton's biography in the Texas House said he attended seminary school and served as a youth minister for over a decade. He has a wife and a young child. 

Slaton has also been among a cohort of Republicans pushing bans on access to gender-affirming healthcare and drag queen story hours for kids.

"Children don't need to be focused on sex and sexualization," he said in an interview last year, the AP previously reported. "We need to let them just grow up to be children and let them do that as they're getting closer to being an adult." 

The investigation into Slaton's misconduct found that he gave alcohol to a teenage intern, as well as another young staffer, and then had sex with the intern once she was intoxicated, the AP reported. The intern was "really dizzy" and had "split vision," the committee report found.

"Slaton's misconduct is grave and serious," the committee's report said, finding that the lawmaker had abused his position of power, given alcohol to a minor, violated employment laws, and engaged in harassment, according to the AP.  

The investigation's report also said Slaton showed the young intern a threatening email and told her everything would be fine if they kept their involvement under wraps, the AP reported. Slaton also asked a fellow lawmaker to keep his behavior a secret, the outlet reported. 

"The fact that Slaton has not expressed regret or remorse for his conduct is also egregious and unwarranted," the committee's report said, per the AP. "It is the Committee's unanimous recommendation that, considering the factors stated above, the only appropriate discipline in this matter is expulsion."

Expelling a member requires a two-thirds vote from the 150 House members, and Committee Chairman Andrew Murr said he expects a resolution calling for Slaton's expulsion next week, the AP reported.