(The Center Square) – The Texas Houses on Tuesday unanimously voted to remove state Rep. Bryan Slaton, R-Royse City, from office.
They did so after an investigative committee unanimously recommended his removal concluding he’d violated House Rule 15 by “engaging in harassment prohibited by law … by both inappropriate physical behavior and having sexual intercourse with a legislative aide working in his state office and over whom he had primary responsibility for overseeing and who was unable to give effective consent,” they argue, because she’d been drinking alcohol.
The report also concluded that Slaton violated the House Drug and Alcohol Policy by providing alcohol to the aide who he knew was under the legal drinking age of 21.
His removal was the first time the House expelled a member since 1927.
Slaton resigned on May 8 effective immediately in a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott and the clerk of the Texas House of Representatives. His letter doesn’t mention the accusations, doesn’t issue an apology or expresses remorse for having an affair with a 19-year-old legislative aide.
He states he’s resigning to spend time with his young family and to find ways to continue to serve his community.
Despite his resignation, State Rep. Andrew Murr, R–Kerrville, who chaired the House General Investigating Committee overseeing allegations filed against him by three female staffers, issued a memo to House members stating that Slaton still must be expelled despite his resignation.
Murr issued the memo in response to members asking if he still needed to be expelled since he resigned. Murr said the Texas Constitution stipulates that members who resign still hold their seat until they are replaced. Slaton would still qualify to receive a salary, mileage reimbursement and per diem expenses, according to what’s known as the “hold over” provision of Section 17, Article XVI of the Texas Constitution. If a member is expelled, the holdover exception doesn’t apply.
Marr said, “expulsion is the only method to immediately end a member’s service in the legislature.”
After the House voted, Republican Party of Texas Chairman Matt Rinaldi thanked the members “for responding swiftly and appropriately to the reprehensible actions of Representative Slaton.”
“The misconduct described in the General Investigative Committee Report should never be tolerated and is proper grounds for expulsion,” he added. “These actions have betrayed the trust that the people of Representative Slaton’s district put in him as an elected official, and he has rightly resigned. We are encouraged that this investigation signals that the House has entered a new era of accountability where all members will be held to the same fair and high standards.”
The resignation enables Abbott to call a special election to fill his seat. The election would take place in the next few months after the regular legislative session ends this month.
This article First appeared in the center square