Texas lawmaker accused of having sex with and giving alcohol to teen staffer expelled from state house
TEXAS - Bryan Slaton, a Republican from Royse City, was expelled the Texas House. It was a day of reckoning for Slaton, as he is accused of breaching House rules and criminal law.
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"Representative Slaton provided excessive amounts of alcohol to a 19-year old female legislative aide from his capitol office over whom he had the primary responsibility for overseeing and who was unable to give effective consent, took advantage of her intoxication and had sexual intercourse with her," said State Representative David Spiller, a Republican from Jacksboro.
For more than a month, the actions of the 45-year-old former youth pastor have received intense scrutiny from investigators and House colleagues.
Among those leading the call for expulsion was Houston State Representative Ann Johnson who served as a prosecutor of sex crimes for years.
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"We fear the dark alley, the idea of a perpetrator there with a knife or a gun, but it is this type of man that steals innocence. It is this man not worthy of a position of trust, much less power," said Johnson.
Monday, in an apparent attempt to stave off expulsion, Slaton resigned his seat - an action which failed to deter the House from exercising its most severe sanction for the first time in nearly a century.
"At no point during the following month did he express any remorse or appear apologetic in any way," said Republican State Representative Andrew Murr.
The final vote was 147 in favor of expulsion, none against, a resounding bi-partisan statement led by House Speaker Dade Phelan.
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"Expulsion of a member of this body is a rare and serious action," he said. "Mr. Slaton's predatory behavior merits such a consequence....And for those of you who work in this building, I hope it is a reminder that it only takes one voice to make a difference."