OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska state senator called for a criminal investigation after one of her colleagues said he would resign after admitting he took pictures of a female legislative assistant without her knowledge.
Democratic State Senator Megan Hunt from Omaha sent a letter urging the Attorney General and the Nebraska State Patrol to investigate the conduct of Republican Senator Mike Groene to determine whether he has committed any crimes, the statement said. Omaha World Herald.
Groene told The Associated Press on Friday that he planned to step down this week to prevent his family from facing a public ordeal. The North Platte conservative, who often disagreed with his Democratic colleagues in the legislature, also said he would retire from running for the University of Nebraska Board of Regents and leave politics.
Groene announced that he would resign after an online news outlet, Nebraska Sunrise News, reported that one of his associates filed a complaint after discovering the photos on Groene’s laptop, which he had given her to complete a project.
The employee photographed, Kristina Konecko, told the World-Herald that a detail in the early stories about her complaint was inaccurate. She said she had found no evidence that the photos had been sent to anyone else.
But Konecko did say that some of the photos were close-ups of parts of her body with sexually suggestive captions.
The Associated Press does not normally name victims of sexual harassment, but did so in this case because the paper said it would publish Konecko’s name at its request.
Groene said he took photos of the staff member, but described them as harmless images of staff, visitors and relatives in his office. He also denied that any of them were sexual in nature or targeted certain body parts.
Konecko told the paper that she filed her complaint under the lawmaker’s workplace harassment policy in early February, and she has since moved to another legislative office. She said no one instructed her not to discuss the matter, but she doesn’t plan to answer additional questions about it now that it may be under investigation.
“I have not been advised or guided, nor have I received any suggestions or recommendations from outside sources, but as a formal investigation has been called for, I will not answer questions or share further information,” she said. said. “However, I am very grateful and grateful for the outpouring of support and encouragement that I have received from the public.”
Groene said he apologized to the staffer after she confronted him with the photos a few weeks ago and thought the matter was over.
A spokesman for the Nebraska State Patrol told the paper it had received Hunt’s letter and is discussing it with the attorney general’s office. A spokesperson for the attorney general said his office will review the letter.
Under the policy of the legislature, formal complaints about senators or staffers are made to the legislature’s board of directors, but they are not made public unless the committee finds serious misconduct.
During his time in the legislature, Groene fought to lower property taxes and sometimes used abrasive language during the floor debate. He also headed the legislature’s education committee for four years before his colleagues voted to replace him with a Democratic senator.
The 66-year-old Groene was due to leave the legislature next year due to term restrictions.
