Despite the lawmaker’s resignation on Monday, the Texas House of Representatives unanimously decided on Tuesday afternoon to expel the North Texas Republican.
Before the vote, state representative Bryan Slaton (R-Royse City) resigned after discovering he had inappropriate se*ual contact with a 19-year-old intern.
The Texas Constitution states that although Slaton resigned, he was still entitled to certain benefits, including his salary, per diem fees, committee assignments, and status as an official of the state.
As a result, the House General Investigating Committee pressed on with the vote. The expulsion became effective right away. Speaker Dade Phelan instructed the House sergeant at arms to exclude Slaton from the chamber following the vote.
A special election will need to be held for the district, which includes Hunt, Van Zandt, and Hopkins counties. The House General Investigating Committee found last week that Slaton, 45, gave the intern and another young staff member alcohol at his home,
had s*x with the intern after she was drunk, and later showed her a threatening email but said everything would be fine if the incident were kept quiet.
As a result, Slaton was receiving increasing calls from the state GOP and conservative groups to resign. According to the study, Slaton allegedly requested that a fellow lawmaker keep his behavior a secret.
Slaton’s resignation letter did not mention the accusations his lawyer had branded “outrageous” and “false.” Slaton thanked his colleagues and said it was an honor to serve in the legislature.
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“I look forward to spending more time with my young family, and will continue to find ways to serve my community and all citizens across our great state,” he wrote.
Leaders of the state Republican Party praised his departure and argued that House members ought to be held accountable for improper behavior.
“The misconduct described in the General Investigative Committee Report should never be tolerated and is proper grounds for expulsion,” party officials said in a statement.
“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.”
Recently, Brad Johnson shared a Tweet related to the official statement:
.@TexasGOP statement on Rep. Bryan Slaton’s resignation this morning. #txlege
“The misconduct described in the General Investigative Committee Report should never be tolerated and is proper grounds for expulsion.” pic.twitter.com/PylT8zyNFB
— Brad Johnson (@bradj_TX) May 8, 2023
According to Slaton’s legislative biography, his family and church meetings helped shape his views and principles. It also mentions his employment as a youth preacher and his degrees from a Baptist seminary.
A 21-year-old legislative intern and two 19-year-old legislative assistants made accusations in April, sparking the start of the misconduct probe. Two of the ladies claimed they tried to stop the intern from spending time with Slaton and implied his actions were improper.
But when Slaton asked the intern to visit his residence, the latter, whom one complainant characterized as “naive,” accepted. The legislator reportedly provided wine to the other women who went with her.
The investigative report revealed that one of the young women drank to the point of vomiting, while the other got so inebriated they experienced “split vision” and other symptoms.
According to the story, two women eventually departed but the intern remained. She claimed to her friends that the following morning, Slaton drove her home, making a stop at a pharmacy so she could buy emergency contraception.
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