Utah Democratic state Sen. Gene Davis asked to resign amid sexual harassment claims - Axios Salt Lake CityLog InLog InAxios Salt Lake City is an Axios company.

Sen Gene Davis asked to resign by party leaders amid sexual harassment claims

Democratic Sen. Gene Davis looks on from the Senate floor at the Utah State Capitol Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2017, in Salt Lake City. Photo: Rick Bowmer/Associated Press Democratic party leaders are calling for Sen. Gene Davis to resign. Driving the news: A former intern publicly accused the Salt Lake City Democrat of sexual harassment earlier this month. The latest: In a statement on Friday, Thom DeSirant, executive director of the Utah Democratic Party, said party leaders and members asked Davis to step down from his position in the Utah Legislature.After Davis didn't resign, DeSirant said they voted to extend last week to include all party-related events while awaiting the outcome of a probe by the Utah Senate. DeSirant also requested the Senate share its findings with the party. Davis did not respond to Axios' request for comment. What they're saying: "We find ourselves faced with multiple credible allegations of misconduct by Senator Davis and must err in favor of the safety and well-being of our members," DeSirant said.He also added the party was reviewing its training for staff and volunteers about steps to take when a complaint is received. Context: On Aug. 3, Sonia Weglinski, who worked as Davis' legislative intern and later as a campaign staffer earlier this year, her personal boundaries, describing an incident where he wiped dirt off her buttocks against her will in a now-deleted Instagram post. Two days after Weglinski's social media post, Utah Senate President Stuart Adams announced he was launching an into the claims. The big picture: Her allegations against the longtime senator have prompted a growing coalition of to denounce sexual harassment in the workplace and call for aggressors to be held accountable. Yes, but: A year before Weglinski came forward, Elizabeth Converse, a former legislative staffer, accused Davis in a Facebook post of inappropriately putting his arm around her waist and suggesting body shots.Weglinski said she believed her experience with Davis could have been prevented had the Utah Democratic Party held him accountable for previous sexual harassment claims.In a previous statement this month, the party claimed it couldn't conduct an investigation unless a formal complaint had been received. Go deeper: Davis has served in the Utah Legislature since 1987 and joined the Senate in 1999. He his Democratic primary race against Nate Blouin in June.His term ends on Jan. 1, 2023. Get more local stories in your inbox with .Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.

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