Rep. Scotty Campbell
A state House ethics subcommittee determined last month that Rep. Scotty Campbell (R-Mountain City) violated workplace policies by sexually harassing at least one legislative intern, according to a report from NewsChannel 5’s Phil Williams.
Campbell, who is vice chair of the House Republican Caucus, had not faced any publicly disclosed punishment in the weeks since. House Speaker Cameron Sexton told The Tennessean Thursday that Campbell has resigned.
According to the report, the state paid to relocate the victim from the downtown apartment building where both she and Campbell were living.
“I had consensual, adult conversations with two adults off property,” Campbell told the TV station, referencing a second individual who is not mentioned in the report.
The bipartisan ethics subcommittee sent a memorandum to House Speaker Cameron Sexton detailing the accusations. A staff investigation determined that Campbell violated workplace policies, the memo notes.
According to the NC5 report, the victim detailed the experience in a report to her university. The 19-year-old alleges that Campbell made repeated comments about her performing sexual acts and “begged” for hugs. She also alleges that Campbell offered cannabis in exchange for seeing her tattoos and piercings.
“I was getting progressively more afraid and uncomfortable,” she wrote, according to the report. “He then reached out his hand toward me and grabbed me around the neck. I recoiled and said I felt sick and immediately left.”
Campbell was among the Republicans who voted to expel three House Democrats for violating decorum rules by staging an anti-gun protest on the House floor.Â
