UTAH (ABC4) – Party leaders and members of the Utah Democratic Party have suspended Senator Gene Davis after he was accused of sexually harassing a former intern, according to a press release.
Though he “denied specifics of the allegations,” party members believe that the behavior he acknowledged, regardless of the context or intent, was unacceptable.
The Utah Democratic Party Executive Committee voted on Friday to extend the Salt Lake County Democratic Party’s temporary suspension of Sen. Davis to now include “all party events at any level,” pending the outcome of the Utah State Senate’s independent investigation.
Party members have also formally requested that the Senate make the result of their investigation available for further review and action.
“This is not a step we take lightly,” the press release states.
Members of the Executive Committee have reportedly spent the week debating the appropriate course of action following the former intern’s public statements.
The Utah Democratic Party has released the following statement on the matter:
“We’ve tried to balance our belief that everyone should be presumed innocent until proven guilty, our commitment to the deliberative steps and due process our governing documents require, and our obligation to ensure that every member of our party – at every level – is treated with the respect and dignity they are entitled in a space that is free from harassment or discrimination.”
They say that, ultimately, they’re faced with multiple credible allegations of misconduct by Sen. Davis and must “err in favor of the safety and well-being” of their members.
