Another “family values” Republican, former Tennessee Majority Whip Jeremy Durham, is in a heap of trouble after the Tennessee Attorney General released a damning report on his unethical behavior as a member of the Tennessee General Assembly. From The Tennessean:
Rep. Jeremy Durham engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with 22 women, including sexual harassment, and his actions warrant expulsion from the Tennessee General Assembly, according to a newly released report from the state attorney general.
He took advantage of at least one young college student working in politics:
That conduct by Durham, who is 32 and has been married since 2011, includes bringing a 20-year-old "college student/political worker" to his legislative office with a cooler full of beer, kissing her and eventually having sex with her on a couch, according to the report.
He also earned the nickname “Pants Candy” because he was offered a woman candy from his pocket, with a side of lewd behavior:
A male lobbyist, according to the report, said when the woman asked for a mint from the candy dish, Durham "put his hand in his pocket, and moved it around in a manner that made 'quite a display' of accentuating his genitalia.
Women in the capitol were fearful of his behavior, many left rather than work with him:
Women feared they would lose their jobs, earn reputations as complainers or damage their relationships with other members of the Republican Caucus if they came forward. Female lobbyists said they feared they would lose votes for the bills they were championing, according to the report.
Other Republican Tennessee lawmakers said Durham flat-out lied to them:
House Republican Caucus Chairman Glen Casada — a once close confidant and political mentor of Rep. Jeremy Durham — called the findings of an attorney general investigation into the embattled lawmaker “disappointing” and “sad” while denying that he had any knowledge of his colleague’s personal conduct.
"He lied to me," Casada told The Tennessean in a telephone interview Wednesday afternoon.
Lawmakers are calling for him to resign, but ultimately voters will decide his fate in an August 4 election.
Prior to the report on his disgusting behavior with women, he had been investigated (but not charged) with prescription fraud, after a pharmacist noticed dates on a prescription had been altered.
Durham told the I-Team the prescription was for 5 milligrams of Adderall, a drug he has taken his entire life.
Whitney went on to ask several times if Durham had changed the date.
“You’re saying you absolutely did not put a pen on that paper,” Whitney said.
“It’s hard. Do you remember what you had for breakfast last Tuesday?” Durham replied.