Beshear says Grossberg allegations ‘very concerning;’ other Democrats call for resignation
Recent allegations of sexual harassment made against Rep. Daniel Grossberg have triggered calls for his immediate resignation from some Democrats across Kentucky, but not Gov. Andy Beshear.
“The allegations are very concerning,” the governor said in a Wednesday statement to the Herald-Leader. “Everyone should feel safe and be free from harassment in all forms.”
Beshear endorsed Grossberg during the Louisville Democrat’s 2024 primary race. He is running unopposed in November, seeking reelection to Kentucky’s 30th House District.
Allegations against the 45-year-old Grossberg detailed in Herald-Leader reporting from Tuesday included accounts from three more young women involved in state politics.
One recounted an incident in Grossberg’s office where he consumed several alcoholic drinks and began to ask her sex-related questions, including about her sex life and genitals, and told her it was a “shame” she didn’t like men.
Others shared messages from the past two years that they described as harassing, unwanted or threatening. Grossberg wrote “I love you” to one woman on multiple occasions, and told another that if she were to find out his pornography preferences, she “would never forgive him.”
The Herald-Leader published its initial story July 30 with references to three woman who said they’d been sexually harassed by or received unwanted, late-night texts from Grossberg. They have described them as “creepy.”
In total, the Herald-Leader has corroborated dozens of texts and social media direct messages from Grossberg and published the accounts of six women.
Several of the women are actively involved in Frankfort’s political scene.
Even before Tuesday’s story published, both the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission and the Legislative Research Commission, the administrative arm of the state legislature, had been investigating Grossberg. He has been removed from certain legislative committees, suspended from the House Democratic caucus and removed him from his office space.
Grossberg has consistently denied “any allegations of sexual harassment or abuse of office,” but apologized Monday evening “to anyone who felt uncomfortable because of something I said or wrote.” His attorney has stated that Grossberg has a “neurodivergent diagnosis,” placing him on the autism spectrum.
Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, another important voice in the party, said Wednesday morning she was “infuriated” by the reporting, but like Beshear, stopped short of calling for his ouster.
“It is infuriating to me that women are still being subjected to the kinds of harassment that has been reported. It is incumbent upon leaders to hold themselves to the highest of standards. I join others in condemning harassment and abuse against women in all forms,” Coleman wrote.
Grossberg won by a narrow 50-vote margin against fellow Democrat Mitra Subedi, a political newcomer, in May of this year.
No Republican filed to run for the deep blue Louisville district, so Grossberg is unopposed in November’s general election.
Grossberg, first elected in 2022 after beating longtime incumbent Tom Burch for the House District 30 seat, is also a member of the Kentucky Antisemitism Task Force, established by Beshear last year in the wake of antisemitic incidents across the country.
Kentucky Democratic Party Chair Colmon Elridge released a statement on the matter Tuesday, saying the allegations laid out in the Herald-Leader’s reporting “raise serious concerns.”
“Every Kentuckian deserves to both be and feel safe without fear of harassment. The dignity of all is a bedrock value of our party — those elected under its banner should understand this value is nonnegotiable,” he said.
The Louisville Democratic Party posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, it finds the allegations in the recently posted story “extremely disturbing.”
“We unequivocally condemn any form of sexual harassment and take allegations of this nature with the utmost seriousness,” party officials wrote. “The Louisville Democratic Party is committed to creating a safe space for everyone, and as such, we must support the continued caucus suspension of Representative Grossberg as the (Legislative Research Commission) completes its investigation.”
Republican leadership has not rebuked the allegations, citing the ongoing investigation into his conduct.
A spokesperson for Republican House leadership said, “We’re not going to comment on an ongoing ethics investigation, but continue to monitor it.”
Who has called on Grossberg to resign?
Others involved in party politics have called on Grossberg to step down.
The Kentucky Young Democrats, a political organization supporting party politicians and activists under the age of 40, called for his resignation on Aug. 1, little more than a day after the Herald-Leader published its first story on the matter.
The group cited the Herald-Leader’s reporting in their call for Grossberg to resign, adding that its members had internally reported more instances of alleged harassment by Grossberg.
Randy Cravens, the Democrat running against U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, R-KY, in the Republican-leaning Sixth Congressional District, said “he must resign.”
“I trust the (Herald-Leader) in their reporting, and respect the bravery of those who have come forward. Rep. Grossberg will get his day in court or before the appropriate body to argue his case. That is his right. But now, for his constituents, he must resign,” Cravens wrote on X.
Robert Kahne, a delegate to the Democratic National Convention and co-host of the Democratic show My Old Kentucky Podcast, and Jason Perkey, a Democratic operative who led state parties in Kansas and South Carolina, both called on Grossberg to resign.
Perkey, who spoke with the lawmaker after the initial reporting on an investigation into his behavior, said he believes it’s in Grossberg’s best interest to resign.
“I spoke with Daniel about this two weeks ago,” Perkey wrote in a post to Facebook. “I believe he was contrite in his response to me and that he’s taking the reports of how he made these women feel seriously.
“I also believe Daniel needs to do the right thing today and step down from his position as a state representative and focus on himself. It’s the right thing to do in response to the reprehensible stories we are hearing and learning from all of these women who have had the courage to come forward.”
This story was originally published August 21, 2024 at 3:22 PM.
