Rep. Jeremy Durham on Thursday denied an allegation by Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey that he had an affair with a former legislator, causing the legislator to resign.
Rep. Durham, who earlier this week resigned as House Whip after reports of improper text messages to three women, said he plans to take two weeks off from the Legislature.
House Speaker Beth Harwell called for the state attorney general to investigate allegations against Rep. Durham. State Democrats said it should be a non-partisan probe.
She said, “Today, I have asked the Attorney General to commence an independent investigation into the facts surrounding Representative Jeremy Durham’s ongoing situation. Additionally, I have asked them to issue a report with their findings. If and when an expulsion resolution comes before the House of Representatives, the report could be part of that process.”
A spokesman for Rep. Durham said, "As of January 27, 2016, Representative Durham has taken a couple of weeks of leave from the legislature, which has been approved by Speaker Harwell. Nevertheless, he categorically denies having any physical relationship with former representatives Harrison or Wilburn."
The spokesman later said, after it was noted that three legislators, not two, resigned from the Legislature last year, added, "Given the number of questions on the omission of former Rep. Ryan Haynes, I wanted to update all of you. I brought to Rep. Durham’s attention that three legislators had resigned last year, not two, and he maintains he has no further comments."