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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowMore than 60 Republican state lawmakers or candidates have come out in support of Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma, who has been accused of intimidating a woman he allegedly had a sexual encounter with decades ago.
Of the 64 Republicans who signed a statement, 59 are current representatives and five are candidates for House seats.
“We stand with Speaker Brian Bosma against this attempt by the Indianapolis Star to discredit him, a conservative leader, with uncorroborated allegations,” the statement issued Thursday reads. “Having worked alongside the Speaker, some of us for decades, we know him to be a man of integrity, and we believe him. Speaker Bosma has been a great leader making Indiana the best place in the country to live, work and raise a family. We stand by him 100 percent as he continues to lead our state forward.”
The Indianapolis Star published a story Wednesday afternoon that said Bosma paid $40,000 to hire attorney Linda Pence with SmithAmundsen, at least in part to investigate and find negative information about the Kandy Green, a former intern for the House Democratic Caucus.
Green told the newspaper that Pence has questioned some of her family, friends, a former boyfriend and ex-husband in an effort to gather unflattering information about her. She said the experience left them shaken, and it made her willing to go public with the allegation.
Green told the Star she performed oral sex on Bosma in a hotel parking lot during her 1992 internship for Indiana House Democrats. She was 20 and he was 34 at the time. In a statement to the newspaper, Bosma denied all of the allegations.
Bosma oversaw the internal investigation over groping allegations against Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill earlier this year, and is crafting the Legislature’s sexual harassment policy. Gov. Eric Holcomb called for Hill to resign and asked the state's inspector general to investigate.
On Wednesday, Indiana Democrats released a statement requesting that Holcomb call for an investigation into the allegations. Holcomb told reporters on Thursday morning that he wouldn't act on the issue until seeing an official report, according to the Star.
Republicans have 70 House members. The only GOP House members who did not sign the statement were Jim Baird, Greg Beumer, Bruce Borders, Tim Brown, Ed Clere, Wes Culver, Dick Hamm, Curt Nisly, Milo Smith and Tom Washburne.
Baird isn’t running for re-election, but is instead running in Indiana’s 4th U.S. Congressional District. Beumer, Culver, Smith and Washburne are also not seeking re-election. Hamm lost his re-election bid in the primary. Brown is still recovering from a motorcycle accident that occurred last month in Michigan.
The state representatives who signed the statement:
- Dave Abbott
- Michael Aylesworth
- Ron Bacon
- Steve Bartels
- Bob Behning
- Woody Burton
- Martin Carbaugh
- Robert Cherry
- Anthony Cook
- Steve Davisson
- Dale DeVon
- Sean Eberhart
- Jeff Ellington
- Karen Engleman
- Bill Friend (speaker pro tempore)
- Dave Frizzell (assistant majority floor leader)
- Randy Frye
- Doug Gutwein
- Bob Heaton (majority whip)
- Dave Heine
- Todd Huston
- Jack Jordan
- Chris Judy
- Mike Karickhoff (deputy speaker pro tempore)
- Cindy Kirchhofer
- Don Lehe
- Matt Lehman (majority floor leader)
- Dan Leonard
- Shane Lindauer
- Jim Lucas (assistant majority whip)
- Randy Lyness
- Kevin Mahan
- Chris May
- Peggy Mayfield (assistant majority floor leader)
- Wendy McNamara (assistant majority whip)
- Doug Miller
- Bob Morris
- Alan Morrison
- Sharon Negele (assistant majority whip)
- Julie Olthoff
- Jim Pressel
- Kathy Richardson (majority caucus chair)
- Tom Saunders (assistant majority caucus chair)
- Donna Schaibley
- Sally Siegrist
- Hal Slager
- Ben Smaltz
- Ed Soliday (assistant majority floor leader)
- Mike Speedy
- Greg Steuerwald (assistant majority caucus chair)
- Holli Sullivan
- Jeff Thompson
- Jerry Torr
- Heath VanNatter
- Tim Wesco
- Dave Wolkins
- John Young
- Dennis Zent
- Cindy Ziemke
The candidates who signed the statement include: Brad Barrett, who beat Hamm in the primary for House District 56; Christy Stutzman, who is seeking to replace Culver in House District 49; J.D. Prescott, who is seeking to replace Beumer in House District 33; Ethan Manning, who is seeking to replace Friend is House District 23; and Chuck Goodrich, who is seeking to replace Richardson in House District 29.
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