Texas House panel recommends expulsion of Rep. Bryan Slaton
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A panel of House lawmakers is unanimously recommending that the chamber vote to expel state Rep. Bryan Slaton after finding that the Royse City Republican engaged in “inappropriate sexual conduct” with a 19-year-old aide who worked for him.
A House investigative committee found that Slaton had “engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with a subordinate” and that the behavior was “induced” by alcohol that he provided to her. He also “acted systematically to influence that subordinate and multiple witnesses and obstruct the investigation into the matter,” said state Rep. Andrew Murr, the Junction Republican who chairs the committee.
Slaton and his attorney did not present any evidence that contradicted the allegations, nor did the lawmaker express regret or remorse for his conduct, the report says.
Murr announced the panel’s findings Saturday as House members were handed copies of its investigative report. Murr said the House would vote Tuesday whether to remove Slaton, a move that would require support from two-thirds of the 150-member chamber.
READ THE REPORT: Report of the Committee on General Investigating In the Matter of Representative Bryan L. Slaton
Slaton was seated at his desk in the House chamber as Murr announced the panel’s recommendation. His attorney, Patrick Short, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a statement last month, Short denied wrongdoing on Slaton’s part.
“We are aware of outrageous allegations circulating online by second-tier media that make false claims against Representative Slaton,” Short said.
The inquiry was triggered by three complaints from other young staffers at the Capitol, all signed under penalty of perjury.
The investigation lasted a month and was led by Catherine Evans, a former Harris County criminal district court judge who now operates a private law practice.
“The expulsion of a fellow member is a level of punishment we don’t take lightly,” Murr said. “It is not meant to punish the member. Rather, it is intended to protect the integrity and dignity of this legislative body and to provide accountability to everyone that works, works and serves in this building.”
The report recommended Slaton’s expulsion based on his alleged violation of numerous House rules governing workplace conduct, along with a provision of the Texas Constitution that allows House members to be punished for “disorderly conduct.”
It also accuses Slaton of violating several state laws, including providing alcohol to a minor and abusing his official capacity as an elected official. It was not immediately clear whether the matter had been reported to police.
The conservative firebrand and former minister from East Texas is known for pushing politically extreme, attention-grabbing bills, such as one calling for Texas to secede, and another providing tax cuts for straight couples with children, as long as neither spouse had been previously divorced. He has often locked horns with more moderate members of his party. Slaton’s combative posture has earned him a number of enemies on both sides of the aisle.
State Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, said in a tweet that he would vote in favor of expulsion.
Patterson tweeted that he could not finish reading the report. “It’s disturbing and disgusting that a predator like Rep. Slaton is a member of the Texas House. I look forward to voting to expel Mr. Slaton and protecting the integrity of the Texas House of Representatives.”
House Speaker Dade Phelan, citing his oversight role over the proceedings, said in a statement he would “withhold public comment until my colleagues have the opportunity to deliberate and then vote on the General Investigating Committee’s recommendations.”
Report: Slaton often drank with underage staff
According to the report, Slaton on multiple occasions helped underage staffers obtain alcoholic drinks. He had grown close to the legislative aide, taking photos of her and complimenting her appearance.
A friend of the aide’s had warned her it was “wrong” for the two to be so close, but the aide shrugged off her concerns by saying there was nothing going on between the two and that Slaton and his wife “had problems,” the report said.
Then, on March 31, Slaton invited the aide to his Austin condo around 10 p.m., saying he “did not want to drink by himself,” the report said. When she insisted on going, her friends decided to accompany her as a “protective measure.”
One of the friends told investigators the aide “had never really had a boyfriend before and was somewhat naive.”
Slaton was initially surprised that the aide had brought other people but then proceeded to make all of them rum and Cokes, according to the report. The aide said she had a “lot of alcohol,” felt “pretty rough,” “really dizzy” and had split vision. One of the friends threw up from drinking too much.
Her friends testified that Slaton and the aide would frequently leave and go to other parts of the apartment, and the two were flirting and “looked like they were a couple.”
About two hours later, her friends decided to leave and urged the aide to leave as well, but Slaton told her she “did not have to leave if she did not want to,” and she ultimately stayed.
The aide told investigators she did not feel pressured to stay nor did she feel that it was a requirement of her job, though she acknowledged that she was “in an inappropriate situation.”
Slaton dropped the aide off the next morning, after which a friend drove her to a drugstore to buy “Plan B,” an emergency contraceptive, the report says.
The aide told at least two coworkers she had sex with Slaton, the report says. She also told one of them Slaton told her, “I’m not scared of anyone else. You know you own me now?”
Back at work a few days later, Slaton called the aide into his private office to show her an email he had received. One of her friends told investigators that the email read: “I know you’re sleeping with a staffer. Can you really trust those 20-year-old girls? She owns you now.”
The aide told the committee the email made her “really fearful that I would potentially lose my job.”
She said Slaton told her, “Everything would be fine. Everyone involved just has to stay quiet,” which she took as a threat and said she found “intimidating” but told him she would not tell anyone.
The aide and the friend were “panicking” and stayed up all night trying to figure out what to do.
Given the language repetition of “own you,” lack of demand and awkward interactions between Slaton and the aide’s friends, they decided Slaton must have sent the email himself.
The aide later told the friend “if she hadn’t been drunk, she would not have done it,” as in had sex with Slaton. She told an investigator Slaton’s conduct was “inappropriate under these circumstances because I had too much to drink.”
Three unnamed state representatives also contacted the committee to advise it of allegations against Slaton. One had advised Slaton to resign, but Slaton had told them he had a plan and needed their support, the report says.
The lawmaker had previously called Slaton and asked if it was true that he had invited a young staffer to his condo and had sex with them, and Slaton confirmed.
“Man, I’ve made a mistake and now it seems everyone’s against me,” Slaton told him during the call, according to the complaint. The representative said he was praying for him and hung up.
Source: Houston Chronicle
