OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska state senator referred to as for a prison investigation after certainly one of her colleagues stated he would resign after admitting that he took images of a feminine legislative aide with out her information.
Democratic state Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha despatched a letter urging the state legal professional common and Nebraska State Patrol to analyze the conduct of Republican Sen. Mike Groene to find out if he dedicated any crimes, based on the Omaha World-Herald.
Groene instructed The Related Press Friday that he deliberate to resign this week to keep away from placing his household via a public ordeal. The conservative from North Platte who usually disagreed along with his Democratic colleagues within the Legislature additionally stated he would withdraw from the race for the College of Nebraska Board of Regents and go away politics.
Groene introduced he would resign after a web based information outlet, Nebraska Dawn Information, reported that certainly one of his staffers had filed a grievance after she found the images on Groene’s laptop computer, which he had given her to finish a challenge.
The staffer who was photographed, Kristina Konecko, instructed the World-Herald that one element within the preliminary tales about her grievance was incorrect. She stated that she did not discover any proof that the images had been despatched to anybody else.
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However Konecko did say that a few of the images had been close-ups of components of her physique with sexually suggestive captions.
The Related Press doesn’t sometimes identify victims of sexual harassment, however did so on this case as a result of the newspaper stated it revealed Konecko’s identify at her request.
Groene stated he took images of the staffer, however he described them as innocent pictures of staffers, guests and relations in his workplace. He additionally denied that any of them had been sexual in nature or that targeted on explicit physique components.
Konecko instructed the newspaper that she filed her grievance below the Legislature’s office harassment coverage in early February, and she or he has since transferred to a different legislative workplace. She stated nobody ordered her to not focus on the difficulty, however she does not plan to reply extra questions on it now that it might be investigated.
“I’ve not been suggested or directed nor have I acquired any options or suggestions from any outdoors sources, however as a result of there was a name for a proper investigation, I’m not going to be answering any questions or sharing any additional info,” she stated. “Nevertheless, I’m very grateful and appreciative for the outpouring of help and encouragement that I’ve acquired from the general public.”
Groene stated he apologized to the staffer after she confronted him in regards to the images just a few weeks in the past and believed the matter was over.
A Nebraska State Patrol spokesperson instructed the newspaper it had acquired Hunt’s letter and is speaking with the Legal professional Common’s workplace about it. A spokesperson for the Legal professional Common stated his workplace will evaluate the letter.
Below the Legislature’s coverage, formal complaints about senators or staffers are filed with the Legislature’s Government Board, however they’re not launched to the general public until the committee finds severe misconduct.
Throughout his time within the Legislature Groene fought to decrease property taxes and typically used abrasive language throughout ground debate. He additionally led the Legislature’s Training Committee for 4 years earlier than his colleagues voted to interchange him with a Democratic state senator.
Groene, 66, was scheduled to go away the Legislature subsequent yr as a result of time period limits.
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