In a letter from Attorney General Herbert Slatery to the Ad Hoc Select Committee, the attorney general stated his investigation into Representative Jeremy Durham revealed a pattern of conduct directed toward women who have worked for the legislature.
Although the investigation remained ongoing, Attorney General Slatery said the Legislature should consider interim measures to prevent any future inappropriate conduct and to protect all parties involved.
In a memorandum Thursday, those with the Ad Hoc Select Committee told House Speaker Beth Harwell the following recommendations:
- Representative Jeremy Durham should be reassigned from the War Memorial Building to an appropriate location on the ground floor of the Rachel Jackson Building.
- Representative Jeremy Durham’s access to the Legislative Plaza, War Memorial Building, 7th and 8th floors of the Rachel Jackson Building, and 2nd floor of the State Capitol Building should be limited to attendance at committee meetings, floor sessions, and other meetings concerning official legislative business.
- Representative Jeremy Durham should have no contact with legislative staff or interns, other than his assigned legislative assistant, that is not directly related to official legislative business. If official legislative business necessitates in-person contact with legislative staff outside of committee meetings and floor sessions, all appointments for meetings should be arranged through his assigned legislative assistant and such meetings should include at least two staff members.
Attorney General Slatery wrote in his letter that interviews with 34 people, including other lawmakers, lobbyists, staffers, and interns, revealed the "pattern of conduct" toward women that made several of them refuse to be alone with the Franklin Republican.
According to the Attorney General, information he received from the women related to the incidents revealed Durham had a “superior position of power to the women,” he had the personal contact information from those women “under the guise of legislative business or other legitimate reason,” he contacted them about non-legislative matters in an attempt to meet them alone, he “usually involved alcohol in his interaction” with them, and he “made inappropriate comments of a sexual nature or engaged in inappropriate physical contact with some women.”
Durham claimed Thursday's actions came as a surprise to him. He claimed a member from the ad hoc committee told him the committee would not release any information to the public.
"I'm blindsided that anything was released without hearing from our side," the Franklin Republican said. "I'm in shock about that."
Harwell announced she will move Durham's office across the street from the legislative office complex, and that his access to committee rooms or the House floor will be limited to when meetings are taking place.
Durham has denied any wrongdoing and has announced he’s running for re-election this fall. He also claimed Thursday's move comes as part of a political witch-hunt, led by Speaker Harwell.
"It's like she's trying to push me out," Durham said. "That's the way i feel. I feel like she's trying to railroad me."
In an interview with News Channel 5, Governor Bill Haslam called for the embattled Republican to step down. He said the situation surrounding Durham is taking away from work that needs to get done.
"We have the legislature doing serious, important work. anything like this is at best a distraction," Gov. Haslam said. "I don't think he can fully represent his constituents in this environment. It would be better for him to step back."
The committee added they would continue to monitor the Attorney General’s investigation.
Speaker Harwell’s full statement Thursday read as follows:
“Today I received a memorandum from the Ad Hoc Select Committee regarding Representative Jeremy Durham. Although the Attorney General’s investigation is ongoing, I feel compelled to take proactive steps to protect all parties concerned until the conclusion of the investigation. This is based upon the attached letter from the Attorney General, and the recommendations from the Ad Hoc Select Committee.
These proactive steps include reassigning Rep. Durham’s office from the War Memorial Building to the ground floor of the Rachel Jackson Building, and limiting his access to the Legislative Plaza, War Memorial Building, Rachel Jackson Building, and 2nd floor of the State Capitol for official legislative business only. These actions will be taken immediately.
I want the investigation to be thorough and complete. I encourage anyone with information relevant to the investigation to contact the Attorney General’s office.”
Also Thursday, Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Mary Mancini called Speaker Harwell’s response to the Attorney General's report “pathetic” and released the following statement:
“Speaker Harwell's actions are pathetic. Where was her concern for the women who work at the Capitol last year when Jeremy Durham's inappropriate behavior was reported? She did nothing but sweep it under the rug for months and today she wants to pretend that she is demonstrating leadership? Moving Rep. Durham to another building is ridiculous and self-serving. It’s clear that she hopes that by hiding the problem away, voters will forget and she can concentrate on her political ambitions, like running for Governor. If this is her idea of leadership as Speaker of the House then she has no business running for any higher office.
Whatever the reason, Speaker Harwell and her fellow republican leaders' failure to act, failure to lead, and failure to hold Durham accountable for sexually harassing multiple women, is a key reason why Democrats have recruited one of our strongest groups of candidates ever. If Beth Harwell and the Republican leadership won’t take real action and expel Jeremy Durham from the House, then they need to step aside and make room for real leaders who will.”
