A progressive California group is calling for an investigation into whether “Hot Mike” Duvall
sold his votes for sex.
“A vice-chairman of the Committee on Utilities and Commerce was literally in bed with Sempra Energy’s lobbyist,” said Rick Jacobs of the Courage Campaign in a statement. “Assemblyman Duvall’s ‘sex for votes’ affairs have cheated Californians out of honest government. We call on the attorney general to investigate Mr. Duvall to see if he can be prosecuted for selling his votes.”
Duvall resigned this afternoon as a Republican state lawmaker, after a hot mic picked up his comments to a colleague, in which the married family values champion bragged graphically about his affairs with two women, one of whom is a lobbyist for an energy company.
Jacobs added:
While Assemblyman Duvall has been fighting to make marriage a privilege for heterosexual couples only, he’s been making a mockery of the institution in the California State Assembly, bragging to other elected officials about raunchy details of his affairs,” said Jacobs.
No evidence has yet emerged that the apparent affair between Duvall and the lobbyist, Heidi DeJong Barsuglia, involved any quid pro quos with regard to Duvall’s official acts.
Here’s the full press release from the Courage Campaign:
Courage Campaign calls on Attorney General to investigate Asm. Michael Duvall
“Sex for votes” affairs cheat Californians out of honest government
LOS ANGELES – After California Assemblyman Michael Duvall (R-Orange County) was caught making obscene boasts about sex with married lobbyists on a live microphone in committee meeting, the 700,000-member Courage Campaign called on Attorney General Jerry Brown to investigate.
“This isn’t just a sex scandal, it’s a corruption scandal,” said Rick Jacobs, Courage Campaign founder and chair.
“A vice-chairman of the Committee on Utilities and Commerce was literally in bed with Sempra Energy’s lobbyist. Assemblyman Duvall’s ‘sex for votes’ affairs have cheated Californians out of honest government. We call on the attorney general to investigate Mr. Duvall to see if he can be prosecuted for selling his votes.”
“Duvall’s resignation shows more responsibility than many other Republicans have when exposed for unethical behavior. But his resignation does not excuse him from being held accountable.”
In addition to taking orders from utility companies and voting against sound evironmental policy on Assembly Bill 64, Assemblyman Duvall was part of the Republican bloc that held California’s budget hostage for months, deepening the state’s worst economic crisis in modern times. He has also long opposed marriage equality for committed same-sex couples, blasting a 2008 marriage equality bill and voting to allow schools to teach discrimination against gay and lesbian families.
In March, self-proclaimed “family values” watchdog Capitol Resource Institute called Assemblyman Duval “a consistent trooper for the conservative causes” who has “voted time and time again to protect and preserve family values in California,” earning him a perfect rating on the group’s voting scorecard.
“If Assemblyman Duvall is who conservative groups hold up as their ideal legislator, it shows how shallow their standards are,” said Jacobs.
“While Assemblyman Duvall has been fighting to make marriage a privilege for heterosexual couples only, he’s been making a mockery of the institution in the California State Assembly, bragging to other elected officials about raunchy details of his affairs,” said Jacobs.
