State Representative Steve Lebsock prepares to address issues of retaliation against his accusers before a rare vote to expel him as he faces accusations of sexual harassment at the Colorado State Capitol on Friday, March 2, 2018. Lebsock, of Thornton, in Nov. was publicly accused by state Rep. Faith Winter, D-Westminster, and two other women of sexual harassment. The three women Ñ and two others who havenÕt come forward publicly Ñ filed a series of formal complaints that an independent investigator this week determined were credible.
The Monday after the Colorado House of Representatives voted to expel one of its own from office, it was back to business as usual at the state Capitol.
Gone were the tears and bulletproof vests in the House, where lawmakers instead worked through a docket of more than a dozen bills. The Senate, too, returned to something resembling normalcy — in this case, a polarizing debate about gun laws.
But while Rep. Steve Lebsock’s expulsion Friday marked what state Rep. Faith Winter called a “momentous step” in healing a troubled workplace culture at the Capitol, it was clear, too, that the cloud of sexual harassment still hadn’t dissipated from the golden dome.
Senate President Kevin Grantham began the week much as he has the past two months — fielding questions from reporters about his handling of three harassment complaints against Republican lawmakers in his chamber. Senate Democrats renewed a call to expel one of the accused senators, Randy Baumgardner of Hot Sulphur Springs. And Winter — even as her own complaint against Lebsock had drawn to a close — worried about the conflicting messages that were being sent to others in her situation.
“There’s a lot of mixed signals about what is expected of victims,” said Winter, a Westminster Democrat. “… I do think thatap the next step of the conversation.”
Lebsock, a former Democrat from Thornton who denies the accusations against him, was voted out of the House on Friday by a bipartisan vote of 52-9. It was the first time since 1915 a lawmaker had been removed from office in Colorado — and only the second time in the country that an accused sexual harasser had been expelled since the advent of the #MeToo women’s movement.
For House Democrats, the message was simple: A pattern of sexual harassment, such as Lebsock had been accused of, warranted expulsion after an outside investigator found the 11 complaints credible.
“I think the message definitely was that we’re going to stand up to sexual harassment and bullying,” said House Majority Leader KC Becker, D-Boulder, who sponsored the resolution to expel him.
But for many House Republicans, Friday’s vote was more nuanced. Despite a litany of concerns with the investigative process, a majority said their belief that Lebsock retaliated against his accusers was what constituted grounds for removal.
And for Grantham, the top Senate Republican, precedent suggested that expulsion might not have been warranted, absent a crime being committed. When Rep. William Howland was booted from office 103 years ago, it came after he admitted to perjuring himself before a committee that was charged with investigating allegations of bribery.
“The actions the House took on Friday doesn’t change 100 years worth of precedent in one day,” Grantham, of Cañon City, told reporters Monday. “You actually have to look at the individual case in the House. You actually have to look at the process or lack thereof that they took over there. … One day does not change 100 years.”
Against that backdrop, last week, he called on the Denver District Attorney’s Office to begin a criminal investigation into some of the complaints at the Capitol, which he said could rise to the level of sexual assault. And he’s resisted calls to take more severe punitive measures against Sen. Baumgardner, who stepped down from his Transportation Committee chairmanship last month while maintaining his innocence.
“Bottom line is: Whatever process the House decided to take, whatever route they decided to take, it doesn’t change the fact there’s still a process in place here in the Senate,” Grantham said.
AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post
State Representative Steve Lebsock prepares to address issues of retaliation against his accusers before a rare vote to expel him as he faces accusations of sexual harassment at the Colorado State Capitol on Friday, March 2, 2018. Lebsock, of Thornton, in Nov. was publicly accused by state Rep. Faith Winter, D-Westminster, and two other women of sexual harassment. The three women Ñ and two others who havenÕt come forward publicly Ñ filed a series of formal complaints that an independent investigator this week determined were credible.
AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post
State Representative Steve Lebsock addresses issues of retaliation against his accusers before a rare vote to expel him as he faces accusations of sexual harassment at the Colorado State Capitol on Friday, March 2, 2018. Lebsock, of Thornton, in Nov. was publicly accused by state Rep. Faith Winter, D-Westminster, and two other women of sexual harassment. The three women - and two others who haven't come forward publicly - filed a series of formal complaints that an independent investigator this week determined were credible.
AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post
Representatives and people in the gallery stand at the request of State Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver, to show the number of people who have faced or have been witness to sexual harassment before a rare vote to expel State Representative Steve Lebsock as he faces accusations of sexual harassment at the Colorado State Capitol on Friday, March 2, 2018.
AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post
Representatives and people in the gallery stand at the request of State Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver, to show the number of people who have faced or have been witness to sexual harassment before a rare vote to expel State Representative Steve Lebsock as he faces accusations of sexual harassment at the Colorado State Capitol on Friday, March 2, 2018. Lebsock, of Thornton, in Nov. was publicly accused by state Rep. Faith Winter, D-Westminster, and two other women of sexual harassment. The three women - and two others who haven't come forward publicly - filed a series of formal complaints that an independent investigator this week determined were credible.
AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post
State Representative Steve Lebsock leaves the floor after addressing issues of retaliation against his accusers before a rare vote to expel him as he faces accusations of sexual harassment at the Colorado State Capitol on Friday, March 2, 2018. Lebsock, of Thornton, in Nov. was publicly accused by state Rep. Faith Winter, D-Westminster, and two other women of sexual harassment. The three women Ñ and two others who havenÕt come forward publicly Ñ filed a series of formal complaints that an independent investigator this week determined were credible.
AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post
Rep. Alec Garnett stands before fellow representatives to reveal that he has been wearing a bullet proof vest to the legislative session for fear of retaliation before a rare vote to expel State Representative Steve Lebsock as he faces accusations of sexual harassment and retaliatory action against his detractors and accusers at the Colorado State Capitol on Friday, March 2, 2018. Lebsock, of Thornton, in Nov. was publicly accused by state Rep. Faith Winter, D-Westminster, and two other women of sexual harassment. The three women - and two others who haven't come forward publicly - filed a series of formal complaints that an independent investigator this week determined were credible.
Rep. Chris Hansen leaves the podium after delivering an emotional testimony about the sexual assault of his wife and how that affected his upcoming vote before a rare vote to expel State Representative Steve Lebsock as he faced accusations of sexual harassment at the Colorado State Capitol on Friday, March 2, 2018.
DENVER, CO - MARCH 2: Rep. Chris Hansen sits at his desk after delivering an emotional testimony about the sexual assault of his wife and how that affected his upcoming vote before a rare vote to expel State Representative Steve Lebsock as he faces accusations of sexual harassment at the Colorado State Capitol on Friday, March 2, 2018. Lebsock, of Thornton, in November was publicly accused by state Rep. Faith Winter, D-Westminster, and two other women of sexual harassment. The three women Ñ and two others who havenÕt come forward publicly Ñ filed a series of formal complaints that an independent investigator this week determined were credible. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
DENVER, CO - MARCH 2: Rep. Chris Hansen hugs Rep. Faith Winter after delivering an emotional testimony about the sexual assault of his wife and how that affected his upcoming vote before a rare vote to expel State Representative Steve Lebsock as he faces accusations of sexual harassment at the Colorado State Capitol on Friday, March 2, 2018. Lebsock, of Thornton, in November was publicly accused by state Rep. Faith Winter, D-Westminster, and two other women of sexual harassment. The three women Ñ and two others who havenÕt come forward publicly Ñ filed a series of formal complaints that an independent investigator this week determined were credible. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
DENVER, CO - FEBRUARY 2: Rep. Tracy Kraft-Tharp listens to testimony before a rare vote to expel State Representative Steve Lebsock as he faces accusations of sexual harassment at the Colorado State Capitol on Friday, March 2, 2018. Lebsock, of Thornton, in November was publicly accused by state Rep. Faith Winter, D-Westminster, and two other women of sexual harassment. The three women Ñ and two others who havenÕt come forward publicly Ñ filed a series of formal complaints that an independent investigator this week determined were credible. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
DENVER, CO - FEBRUARY 2: Rep. Steve Lebsock talks in a back room to Rep. Jonathan Singer before a rare vote to expel State Representative Steve Lebsock as he faces accusations of sexual harassment at the Colorado State Capitol on Friday, March 2, 2018. Lebsock, of Thornton, in November was publicly accused by state Rep. Faith Winter, D-Westminster, and two other women of sexual harassment. The three women Ñ and two others who havenÕt come forward publicly Ñ filed a series of formal complaints that an independent investigator this week determined were credible. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post
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State Representative Steve Lebsock prepares to address issues of retaliation against his accusers before a rare vote to expel him as he faces accusations of sexual harassment at the Colorado State Capitol on Friday, March 2, 2018. Lebsock, of Thornton, in Nov. was publicly accused by state Rep. Faith Winter, D-Westminster, and two other women of sexual harassment. The three women Ñ and two others who havenÕt come forward publicly Ñ filed a series of formal complaints that an independent investigator this week determined were credible.
The takeaway: Don’t expect the debate around sexual harassment to go away any time soon.
“For women looking to move forward, they’re going to want to know, is it a criminal standard?” Winter said. “Does there have to be retaliation for people to care about my experience? Shouldn’t the harassment be enough for me to come forward and expect some sort of accountability?”
Another lingering question from Friday — what happens with Lebsock’s vacant seat in House District 34 — could be answered as soon as this week. In a final jab at Democrats, Lebsock switched his party affiliation to Republican less than an hour before he was expelled — a political maneuver that could hand the seat to the GOP because of how vacancies are filled under state law.
The Colorado Republican Party expects to decide in the coming days whether to appoint a committee to fill the vacancy, or pass the decision onto Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat.
