Both political parties in KY have had sex scandals. Only one has held politicians accountable. | Opinion
Earlier this month, I introduced a resolution to the Kentucky Democratic Party’s State Central Executive Committee that barred Daniel Grossberg from attending our events and removed all party resources from his campaign. I’ve known Daniel for several years and still consider him a friend, but I believe this was the right thing to do in the wake of the well-documented reports surrounding his sexual misconduct.
Several Democratic leaders, including Governor Beshear, Lieutenant Governor Coleman, and Democratic Party Chair Elridge have also called for his resignation after the alarming reports brought to light by the Herald-Leader. Democrats took swift action after it became known that one of our own had acted in a way that elected officials never should – but these actions are almost never matched by our counterparts at the Republican Party of Kentucky.
Not too long ago, Governor Matt Bevin demanded that the Republican Party of Kentucky call for the resignation of four Republican lawmakers who secretly settled sexual harassment claims. When Republican leaders rejected his call, Bevin responded by saying “it was not a proud day for the Republican Party. It speaks to the fact that we’ve got real problems, including at the highest levels.” One of the lawmakers who signed the settlement is even still a member of the House of Representatives.
A few years after the sexual harassment scandal, GOP Representative Robert Goforth strangled his wife “to the point that she had difficulty breathing and believed she was going to pass out.” Even though evidence in the case was overwhelming –he eventually plead guilty to charges related to the incident– Republicans on the House Impeachment Committee voted to dismiss the petition to remove Goforth from office.
There have been other examples that fit this mold: just this year, two Republicans who have been accused of domestic violence and strangulation were running for the same seat in the Kentucky House. Meanwhile, when a Democratic State Senator was accused of sexual harassment in 2018, he was removed from leadership and the Democratic Senate Caucus called on him to resign. These examples stretch back years, and almost always fit the same mold: Democrats call on our members to meet a high standard of moral conduct in order to serve as an elected official, while Republicans can get away with bad behavior while their leaders remain quiet.
Most of the people calling on Daniel Grossberg to resign know him personally and care about him. We hope that he is able to see the harm he has caused and can get the help he needs. However, we know his conduct is unacceptable from an elected official, and that’s why we voted to make sure that Representative Grossberg will no longer be able to attend Democratic events, and it’s why the House Democratic Caucus removed him from their membership.
The two parties in this state have very clear records for handling sexual misconduct in our ranks. But only one party has a strong record for standing up for survivors of harassment and abuse. What will it take for the Republican Party of Kentucky to join us in opposing sexual misconduct within party ranks?
Robert Kahne is the host of My Old Kentucky Podcast, the owner of kentuckypoliticaldata.com, and a member of the Kentucky Democratic Party’s State Central Executive Committee.