The North Dakota House of Representatives, controlled by the Republican Party, voted 69-25 to expel one of its members on charges of sexual harassment.
The chamber voted to expel Republican MP Luke Simons a week after the charges against him, which date back to 2017, were made public, according to The Associated Press. It is the first time in the history of North Dakota that a legislator has been removed from the state legislature.
Before the vote, Simons blamed his accusers for “distorting his words,” according to the media, and said other lawmakers could be in his position.
“I could make any accusation against any of you,” said Simons, according to the AP. “Under these circumstances, you are guilty.”
Simons posted a photo of the Facebook vote, with the caption “Yeah, without a hearing, without a trial and without evidence. Only based on the complaints that were made, I was expelled from home and now I am out of the legislature ”. The Bismark Tribune reported.
After the vote, Simons’ lawyer Lynn Boughey said he would review his options, adding “as discussed, taking this to the North Dakota Supreme Court is an option,” according to the Tribune
“I have to talk to my client to determine how he wants to proceed,” said Boughey, according to the news agency.
The Legislative Council of the state legislature released a 14-page report last week detailing several allegations of harassment, according to The Grand Forks Herald.
One employee claimed that Simons gave him an unsolicited shoulder massage during a committee meeting, and another said that Simons said she could “lick and smell” a stain on a paper that he slid on his desk, according to the agency. news.
Details of Simons’ misconduct emerged last month after an altercation in the state capitol cafeteria between him and two Democratic lawmakers last month, according to the Herald. The media reported that Simons gave a swearing response to lawmakers when they asked him to wear his mask while waiting for food.