Austin News

The Texas Department of Public Safety confirming an ongoing investigation into allegations a lobbyist recently used a date-rape drug on a Texas Capitol staffer during a meeting in downtown Austin has created a bipartisan outcry among legislators.

State Rep. Julie Johnson (D-Farmers Branch) was one of 30 female legislators who cosigned a letter along with state Rep. Donna Howard (D-Austin) praising the victim or victims who came forward and promising to support any staff who report sexual assault.

“There have been allegations of sexual assault at the Capitol. I won't partake in the culture of victim-blaming — so I signed my name to this letter along with the other women of the #TXlege,” Johnson said in a Tweet. “We will continue to monitor this situation to seek justice for our staff.”

But the response appeared to be far from a left-right issue, as state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione (R-Southlake) quoted the Bible in his own Tweet responding to the news by promising to hold perpetrators accountable.

“‘My house shall be a house of prayer but you are making it a den of thieves,’” Capriglione said in his Tweet. “We must change a corrupting culture. As a husband, a father to 3 daughters & responsible for staff — I won’t tolerate anyone who refuses to treat women appropriately, in thought, word or action.”

House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) responded by addressing the House, and indicated that he had no intention of laying blame on any victim.

“I am disgusted that this sort of predatory behavior is still taking place in and around our capitol,” Phelan told his fellow representatives. “We can and we must do better, when it comes to changing the culture in this building.”

While no names have been offered, lobbying firm HillCo has acknowledged that one of their employees is a person of interest in the investigation, according to coverage by Spectrum Local News. They have launched an internal investigation and vowed to fire anyone found to have been involved in misconduct.