Democrats Sign Letter on Baumgardner Complaint

Fifteen Senate Democrats signed a letter Tuesday asking the Republican Senate President to let the minority leader help decide a possible punishment against a Senator accused of sexual harassment. Our statehouse reporter Bente Birkeland has more.

Senator Baumgardner, a Republican from Hot Sulphur Springs was accused of grabbing and slapping a former aide’s buttocks four separate times in 2016 at the capitol. It has been confirmed that an outside group investigating the complaint found it credible. Kerry Donovan is a Democratic senator from Vail and signed the letter.

The process has found that the accusation was validated and so we should have confidence in that process. So now that that is concluded it’s time for action to be taken.

Republican Senate President Grantham said on Monday that he doesn’t know whether he will make the decision alone as the presiding member of the chamber, or whether the majority and minority leaders will also be included. They all three received the report. Grantham has also declined to say whether he would let the public know what the consequences are. I’m BB at the state capitol.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download