A judge has denied state lawmaker, Jeremy Durham's, request to block an investigation by the attorney general's office in accusations that he sexually harassed female staff.
The hearing on a petition filed by state Rep. Jeremy Durham was held Tuesday afternoon in Davidson County Chancery Court.
Durham's attorneys argued the probe by the attorney general's office violates the Tennessee Constitution and Durham's due process rights. They wanted the results suppressed.
Early voting starts Friday and Durham's attorneys said releasing a report on the results of the investigation could hurt the Franklin Republican's re-election chances.
Court filings by state Attorney General Herbert Slatery said Durham's claims are without merit and should be denied. They said blocking the report into Durham's conduct toward women is not in the public interest.
In the end, the judge ruled that the investigation was lawful and would continue.
Durham's attorney, Bill Harbison, released this statement following the ruling:
“While we respect the Court’s ruling, we are disappointed. As we argued today, this is a case about the abuse of governmental power and an unfair and unconstitutional process and we hoped the court would enjoin these actions. This has all happened rather quickly so we are now considering all legal remedies available and will determine the best course of action.”
