Jeff Hoover resigned after settling sexual harassment claim

Less than a year after the GOP gained control of the Kentucky House of Representatives, the Republican speaker resigned from his leadership position Monday. Jeff Hoover’s departure comes more than two months after acknowledging he secretly settled a sexual harassment claim and paid hush money to keep a lid on the incident.
As controversy continued to hound him, Jeff Hoover said he was resigning as speaker because he did not want to be a distraction for the House. But  would not resign his seat in the legislature.
Hoover’s resignation was made on the condition ‘if accepted by the members of the House.’ Speaker Pro Tem David Osborne quickly ruled the resignation had been accepted, and ordered it entered into the House journal. He said a vote would only be required if a House member objected, and none did.

‘I will fight with everything I have for as long as it takes to expose all of those people that were involved, regardless of who they are or the position they hold,’ Hoover said.
With his wife, Karyn, watching from the balcony, Hoover admitted in front of his colleagues that he sent inappropriate but consensual text messages to a woman who once worked for the House Republican Caucus.

Karyn Hoover, center, holding the bible, at her husband’s swearing-in as Speaker Jan 3, 2017 was on hand Jan 8 2018 to hear her husband speak before stepping down

Those text messages, according to formal disciplinary charges filed against him in the House, included a request for the woman to send photos of herself wearing a ‘black lace g string.’
Hoover said his behavior was not ‘unwelcome’ by the woman, but he agreed to pay her an undisclosed financial settlement after her attorney sent him a letter claiming sexual harassment.

The speech drew a mix of reaction from colleagues as he left the chamber to applause and a standing ovation from some lawmakers, and disgust mixed with disdain from others.
‘I just think it’s sad and disappointing that he continues to make this about him and how people are supposedly conspiring against him. And he appears to be wanting to take the focus off the initial act, which he describes as a mistake,’ GOP Rep. Stan Lee said. ‘But there was more to that act than just that mistake. There was a settlement and a confidentiality agreement that a lot of people characterize as a cover-up.’
Fellow Republican Jill York, offered that women lawmakers have a different perspective on the scandal.
They know she said, that ‘this is not the first instance where there’s been behaviors that were thought to be unbecoming to a member of this institution.’
‘What has been different this time is the addressing of it. You will note that this is a Republican-led House that is willing to convene and put together a mechanism when Republicans are those that are in question,’ she said, referring to new House rules passed last week that established a procedure for disciplining members.

Osborne said he will continue to preside as House speaker pro tem until his term expires at the end of the year. House members won’t elect a new speaker until January 2019.
‘This has been a very difficult time, personally and professionally, for all of us,’ Osborne said. ‘We will get through it and we will do the work of the people.’
Eight Republican lawmakers filed disciplinary charges against Hoover last week, asking a special committee to recommend removing him from the House. That committee continued to meet Monday, but is still in the early stages of its investigation.