Sen. Taylor silent on harassment allegations as legislature convenes
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Senate Minority Leader Greg Taylor on Tuesday made only a vague reference to the sexual harassment allegations against him as lawmakers met for Organization Day.
Three female former staffers, including a former intern, accused Taylor of sexual harassment over a period of years in an IndyStar investigation. Taylor offered a statement to IndyStar apologizing for his actions but still has not offered any similar statement to News 8. Taylor said little about them in his Organization Day speech and did not take questions from reporters afterward.
“Sometimes the circumstances that cover what you want to talk about (on Organization Day) can change, and sometimes that’s not to your liking, and today, that’s where I find myself in,” he said. “When we speak from this very powerful microphone, we have to recognize that when we fall short, we owe a debt to (voters)”
Two members of Taylor’s caucus have now publicly condemned his alleged behavior.
In a video posted on Instagram, Sen. Andrea Hunley, D-Indianapolis, revealed she ran against Taylor for Senate minority leader at Monday’s closed-door caucus meeting. She lost but was chosen to serve as assistant minority Leader, the caucus’ second-highest position. She said she accepted the job to ensure accountability within the caucus.
“I’m committed to ensuring that changes are made and Leader Taylor is held accountable,” she said. “Things only change when people with courage come into positions of power. That’s why I stepped up.”
In a separate statement, Hunley’s predecessor as assistant minority leader, Sen. Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, revealed she stepped down from the role in protest and did not vote for Taylor.
“The serious allegations involving my colleague Senator Taylor demanded accountability and action. While the outcome was not what I had hoped for, I did everything in my power to stand up for what is right and to ensure that these issues were addressed–not for personal gain or political positioning, but because it was the right thing to do.”
State Sen. Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington
Senate President Pro Tem Rod Bray, R-Martinsville, would not say whether he thought Taylor’s remarks were sufficient but elaborated on his statement from Monday condemning the allegations.
“I am extremely disappointed in Sen. Taylor. I’ve expressed that to him,” he said. “We conduct ourselves at a much higher level than that here in this chamber and as president pro tem, I’ve got the obligation to ensure that that happens and will continue to do so.”
Senate Democrats late Monday announced they would push to make the process for reporting misconduct allegations against a senator more independent, distancing the process from the current Senate Ethics Committee, which is made up of an equal number of sitting state senators from both parties.
Bray did not rule out such a change but said doing so would dilute the accountability of senators.