Ky. Democrats re-up calls for Grossberg to resign, chide GOP for restoring some privileges
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Investigation into Louisville Rep. Daniel Grossberg
A Herald-Leader investigation into allegations of sexual harassment involving Rep. Daniel Grossberg, D-Louisville, revealed he intimidated and harassed multiple women in and around Kentucky politics. He also was allegedly aggressive and threatening toward dancers in a Louisville strip club.
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The Kentucky Democratic Party is criticizing Republican leadership in Frankfort for allowing embattled Rep. Daniel Grossberg, a Democrat, to serve on legislative committees this session despite party-wide calls for his resignation amid accusations of sexually inappropriate behavior with younger women.
Lawmakers, including Grossberg, convened in Frankfort for the first day of the regular session Tuesday. Though he had been stripped of virtually all legislative privileges, House leadership assigned Grossberg to serve on three committees — ranking the Kentucky Democratic Party and three women who accused Grossberg of misconduct.
“If Speaker David Osborne and Senate President Robert Stivers cared more for Daniel Grossberg’s victims than they did for politics, they would join with House Democrats in stripping him from all committee assignments and demanding that he resign from office immediately,” KDP Chair Colmon Elridge said.
When asked about Grossberg’s committee assignments, House GOP leadership spokesperson Laura Leigh Goins said Wednesday, “It is our policy to refrain from commenting on ongoing investigations.”
In a separate statement Tuesday, Emma Curtis, Sarah Ritter and Allison Wiseman — who publicly identified themselves after the Herald-Leader in September reported their anonymous stories of sexually harassing behavior by Grossberg — said, “We have said it before and we will continue to say it — Daniel Grossberg needs to resign.”
Grossberg told the Herald-Leader on Wednesday that he remains “committed to working tirelessly for my constituents.”
“With my placement on three influential committees, I can hit the ground running for House District 30 as a fighter against predatory lending practices, as an advocate for quality public education and community safety, and as a problem solver to mitigate the housing shortage in our state. I have been and continue to be that critical voice for my constituents, both in the committee rooms and on the House floor.”
Democrats across Kentucky, including Gov. Andy Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, called for the Louisville Democrat to resign his seat this fall, after a Herald-Leader investigation detailed allegations that Grossberg had sexually harassed multiple women and used his power as a legislator for personal gain.
In September, the newspaper reported that Grossberg had been banned for life from a Louisville strip club for touching a dancer without her consent and for offering to pay another dancer up to $5,000 for sex.
Grossberg, who has repeatedly denied all allegations of impropriety, refused to heed calls to step down, instead saying he was seeking “treatment” to help reduce his “impulsive behavior.” In November, Grossberg ran unopposed for his House District 30 seat and was reelected to a second term. He was sworn in on Tuesday in Frankfort, joined by his wife, Erica Grossberg.
In addition to calling for his resignation, Democrats booted Grossberg from their caucus and revoked most of his legislative privileges, including taking away his office and legislative resources to help draft bills. House Democrats also at the time removed him from all interim committee assignments.
An official legislative ethics probe into his conduct is ongoing. In the meantime, now that the General Assembly is back in session, it’s unclear if Democrats will move to officially remove Grossberg from his seat — a proceeding that requires a two-thirds vote of their chamber, according to the state Constitution.
Previous Democratic leadership, who all cycled out this year, said they would seek to remove Grossberg from the House. As of late last year, newly minted House Minority Floor Leader Pamela Stevenson, D-Louisville, had not committed to doing so.
The committees to which Grossberg was assigned by House leadership were Banking and Insurance, Primary and Secondary Education, and Small Business and Information Technology.
“Republicans in the General Assembly were quick to remove their own members from committees for bucking leadership, but are now rewarding Grossberg, an individual with a disturbing, documented record of sexual assault and harassment,” said KDP Chairman Colmon Elridge said in a statement, chiding the GOP for refusing to “join with Democrats in calling for Grossberg’s resignation.”
Curtis, Ritter and Wiseman added, “This is the same man who sent unwanted, sexually harassing messages to several young women who work in Frankfort. The same man who drunkenly pressured a young woman to divulge information about her genitals and sex life while in his office in Frankfort. The same man who harassed, assaulted, and openly solicited sex from nightclub workers in Louisville. The same man who continues to be the subject of numerous ethics complaints filed by colleagues, constituents, and peers.”
In a statement shared with the Louisville Courier-Journal, Grossberg said he was thankful for the appointments.
“I don’t see any impediment on my effectiveness because the legislature as a whole has continued to maintain faith in due process by treating me as an equal member of the body,” Grossberg wrote. “I’m grateful for my appointments to these influential committees where I can effectively serve my constituents.”
This story was originally published January 8, 2025 at 3:12 PM.
