Bryan Slaton: Married Texas rep resigns before planned vote to remove him from office after allegations of sexual misconduct with intern, 19
AUSTIN, TEXAS: A married Republican representative from Texas has stepped down from his position after an inquiry concluded that he engaged in an affair with a 19-year-old female staff member. An investigation was launched following several internal complaints that were filed against Bryan Slaton, a 45-year-old representative from Austin, Texas.
One of the complaints alleged that Slaton had a questionable sexual encounter with the intern in his Austin apartment. The young staffer identified as Sophie A reported that Slaton gave her alcohol to the extent that she felt lightheaded and had impaired vision, which compromised her judgment before an unspecified sexual encounter.
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Who is Bryan Slaton?
Bryan Slaton is a former Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives, representing District 2, which includes Hunt, Hopkins, and Van Zandt counties. He was first elected to the Texas House in 2020 and was reelected in 2022.
Slaton has been involved in controversial issues during his time in office, including calling for the end of abortion, advocating for the rights of gun owners, and opposing efforts to reform policing practices. He has also been critical of fellow Republicans who he believes are not conservative enough.
Slaton was recommended for expulsion after inappropriate relationship with staffer
The bipartisan committee in charge of investigating the complaints against Bryan Slaton released the findings of their internal investigation on Saturday, May 6, 2023. The investigation determined that Slaton had engaged in sexual activity with Sophie and the staffer was reportedly instructed by the now-resigned representative to remain silent about the incident and had to take the emergency contraceptive Plan B, as reported by Daily Mail.
The results were presented in a 16-page report and the committee's chair, Rep. Andrew Murr, issued a statement where he exposed Slaton's predatory actions and recommended that he become the first state representative to be expelled from the body since 1927.
"The committee, upon receiving allegations made by the three separate complainants in early April, promptly retained the services of former Judge Catherine Evans to conduct an independent investigation into the matter," Murr said.m, adding, "Judge Evans conducted this detailed investigation quickly and professionally, interviewing all complainants and cooperating witnesses and assembling documents and other evidence."
The committee, consisting of three Republicans and two Democrats, unanimously found workplace misconduct had occurred after a three-week investigation based on Judge Evans' report. A due process hearing was held, and an in-depth report was prepared by the committee. The committee unanimously accepted the report, which contained "findings of fact and conclusions of law" and an "unprecedented recommendation for discipline," according to Murr.
"We find that Committee member Slaton has engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with a subordinate," Murr said. He added, "That behavior was induced by alcohol that representative Slaton provided to that 19-year-old subordinate."
The Republican further claimed that "Rep. Slaton then acted systematically to influence that subordinate and multiple witnesses and obstruct the investigation into the matter," before recommending Slaton's immediate dismissal.
"This committee unanimously recommends that the House disciplines representative Slaton by expelling him from a member of this body. The expulsion of a fellow member is a level of punishment that we don’t take lightly," Murr said, adding, "But to protect the integrity of and dignity of this legislative body, and to provide accountability to everyone who works and services this building. The terms duty and trust, and integrity, and institutional acceptance to the people, have utmost importance in our recommendation for expulsion. Out of respect for the process, and those involved, this statement will serve as our committee’s only public comment on the matter."
Slaton resigns citing desire to spend time with family
Just a day before the planned vote to remove him from office, Slaton sent a resignation letter to Governor Greg Abbott. However, he did not reference the allegations against him in the letter. Instead, he stated that he was looking forward to spending more time with his family. "This is to inform the people of my legislative district, the governor of the state of Texas, and the House of Representatives, that I hereby resign my position as a member of the legislature effective immediately," the letter begins. "It has been an honor to represent my friends, neighbors and the great people and community of House District 2. They voted overwhelmingly to send me to the Capitol a their representative in two elections, and I worked daily to meet their expectations. My decision today is to ensure that their expectations will continue to be met by a new representative who will also work hard on their behalf," Slaton continued.
"I am grateful to my many colleagues in the House who fought with me to improve life for all Texans, and to those who, even when we could not agree. I look forward to spending more time with my young family, and will continue to find ways to serve my community and all citizens across our great state," the discharged politician added.