After slap on the wrist settlement, Rep. Grossberg should resign | Opinion
The tawdry saga of state Rep. Daniel Grossberg is finally at a much-needed end, and yet resolution and accountability still appear elusive.
Two $1,000 fines and a reprimand are the Legislative Ethics Commission’s answer to multiple accusations of sexual harassment against the Louisville Democrat. (Or I should say charges of “ethical misconduct” because sexual harassment is still not a defined part of the Kentucky Code of Legislative Ethics.)
According to my colleagues, Austin Horn and Alex Acquisto, who tirelessly exposed this behavior over the past two years, the commission fined Grossberg for intimidation of a Louisville strip club that banned him for life after he allegedly groped a dancer. According to the Ethics Commission order, Grossberg denies it but “stipulates there may be sufficient evidence to find a statutory violation.”
The second fine is for his conduct toward Emma Curtis, who is now a Lexington Urban County Council member. The order stated that Grossberg “may have violated” the ethics code, but that Grossberg “is actively engaged in counseling, therapy and skills training to ensure his behavior is not repeated.”
Ethics commission chairman Dave Nicholas told Grossberg the commission hopes “you have learned from this and that you appreciate the idea that we tried to discipline you in a way that doesn’t severely damage you.”
It’s very sweet that the man in charge of legislative ethics wants to make sure that the man accused of widespread harassment isn’t damaged. Unlike, say, his female accusers.
And speaking of which, here’s what Grossberg himself had to say:
“After 18 months of investigation, I am relieved and grateful to have been fully cleared of these frivolous allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct. From the beginning, I maintained that these accusations were false, and the facts have now borne that out.”
A finding of probable cause, followed by a settlement with two fines and a reprimand is not “fully cleared,” and the fact that Grossberg showed no remorse or apparently any understanding of what just happened shows why he should not be in office.
Sarah Ritter, one of Grossberg’s accusers prepared testimony that she was not able to give to the commission, but read out loud instead: “I’m testifying today because these actions caused lasting physical and psychological harm, and because no one, especially someone elected to represent their neighbor should be permitted to behave this way without accountability.”
As this paper said in an editorial in 2024, “Grossberg’s lack of good judgment, his unwillingness to accept responsibility and his predatory and intimidating behavior online and in person show he is unfit for elected office. He must resign immediately.”
Two years later, he still should step down.
Now legislators need to do the right thing
Something good could still come out of this depressing episode: Right now, sexual harassment is not actually prohibited in the Kentucky Code of Legislative Ethics, and the General Assembly could change that to make it a specific charge.
The commission has asked them to do it at least twice before. Last year, Rep. Kim Holloway, a Mayfield Republican, filed a bill that didn’t even get a committee hearing.
This year, Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong, a Louisville Democrat, is carrying the bill, which she said was partially inspired by Grossberg’s case.
Sexual harassment is against the law for the rest of us under federal and state civil rights laws. I won’t speculate on why Kentucky lawmakers don’t think they should play by those same rules. Instead, I will point out what a wonderful opportunity they have before them.
It’s doubtful that Grossberg will do the right thing. But the rest of his colleagues certainly can, making it more clear that this kind of behavior is not tolerated in Kentucky’s halls of power.
This story was originally published February 3, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
