SALT LAKE CITY — Sen. Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake City, was stripped of all committee assignments and urged to resign from the Utah State Senate following the release of an independent investigation into sexual harassment allegations.
In a statement on Wednesday, Senate President J. Stuart Adams said he had made the decision to remove Sen. Davis from all of his committee assignments and asked for his resignation from the Utah State Legislature.
"We strive to create and maintain to have a respectful and professional work environment and are committed to addressing any allegations. I want to reiterate that the Senate does not and will not tolerate workplace harassment, which is why I directed an independent investigation to evaluate the allegations," Sen. Adams, R-Layton, said.
Senate Minority Leader Karen Mayne, D-West Valley City, said in a statement that Sen. Davis had resigned from the caucus. Late Wednesday afternoon, Sen. Davis announced his retirement from the Utah State Legislature, effective Nov. 19.
"Though Sen. Davis continues to deny any wrongdoing, recent events have made it impractical for him to continue his work in the Senate. So, in the best interest of his constituency and the people of Utah, Sen. Davis has determined to step aside and resign from the Utah State Senate," his attorney, Benjamin Grindstaff, said in a statement. "Today’s announcement is not the end of Sen. Davis’ commitment and dedication to the people of Utah. Sen. Davis intends to continue to fight for the people of Utah in any way he is able. But he will do so as a private citizen."
"Sen. Davis wants to thank everyone who has trusted him with their vote and confidence to represent them over the last 36 years. In his own words: 'It has been an honor to serve the great people of the State of Utah. May God bless you all and God bless Utah.'"
Sen. Davis did not immediately respond to a request for comment from FOX 13 News. He previously has declined to comment on the allegations leveled against him.
A former intern of Sen. Davis made the allegations in a social media post in August. Sonia Weglinski said Sen. Davis often invaded physical boundaries and told FOX 13 News she felt her experience at the Utah Capitol was "stolen" from her.
Following the allegations, an independent investigation was launched by the Utah State Senate.
Results of the investigation were disclosed Wednesday and said it was more than likely that Sen. Davis' interactions with Weglinksi during her internship violates the Senate's anti-harassment policies. Further, the report said that when questioned, Sen. Davis was less than truthful in his statements to investigators.
"We did not find Sen. Davis to be forthcoming or completely honest during his interview," the investigators wrote in their report to the Senate. "He made several inconsistent statements and certain of his claims were contradicted by other witnesses."
Throughout the report, it said that Sen. Davis had denied any misconduct.
In an extremely rare move, the Senate Minority Caucus held a closed-door meeting to discuss the situation with legislative lawyers. FOX 13 News is told Sen. Davis did not attend.
"We had a good meeting with the senators and our statement speaks for itself," Sen. Mayne told FOX 13 News as she left the closed door meeting.
A short time later, the entire Senate Minority Caucus issued a joint statement calling on Sen. Davis to leave the Utah State Legislature. It did not address the merits of the investigation.
"This morning, we accepted Sen. Davis’ resignation from our caucus, following the results of the independent investigation. This afternoon, we held a caucus meeting, resulting in our call for his immediate resignation from the Senate," said the statement.
Sen. Davis, who is one of the longest serving legislators on Utah's Capitol Hill, has previously been accused of improper behavior. Elizabeth Converse, a former House Democratic staffer who had leveled misconduct accusations against Sen. Davis, reacted to the report's release.
"A lot of people knew and let his behavior continue. Sonia never should have been put in this position if legislators and others had taken previous allegations seriously. We need to support women who speak out. Culture can’t change without discomfort. It’s time to get uncomfortable," she said in a text message to FOX 13 News.
Sen. Davis was defeated in the Democratic primary election earlier this year by Nate Blouin, who will take office in January.
"Trust in our government’s ability to provide vital support to Utahns is eroded by actions that take advantage of the power held by elected officials. Those in positions of influence should be held to a higher standard, regardless of political ideology. I stand with the Utah Senate’s findings regarding allegations made against my primary opponent, and I am committed to creating a safe and accessible environment at the Capitol," Blouin said in a statement to FOX 13 News.
Read the Senate independent investigation here:
