UPDATE:
NASHVILLE - A Tennessee lawmaker served notice to House colleagues today that she will file a motion for the chamber to expel controversial Rep. Jeremy Durham, R-Franklin, who stands accused of sexually harassing or inappropriately approached a number of state Capitol female workers, interns and lobbyists.
Rep. Susan Lynn, R-Mt. Juliet, made the announcement as the General Assembly on Monday began the first day of an expected three-day special session to deal with an unreleated issue. She intends to make the motion on Tuesday.
Durham, 32, was accused by 22 women in an investigation by Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery of the behavior over his four years in the House.
Lynn said providing notice allows Durham to attend the debate on whether to cast him from the chamber. If successful, it would mark only the third time in Tennessee history that a Tennessee lawmaker has been expelled by colleagues.
The special session involves addressing state legislators' foulup on a new DUI law that now threatens to cost Tennessee some $60 million in federal transportation funding unless repealed. But it's provided Durham's critics the chance to boot him from the chamber.
PREVIOUS STORY FOLLOWS:
With his fellow Tennessee legislative colleagues set to consider expelling him from office, embattled Rep. Jeremy Durham, R-Franklin, is maintaining his innocence of charges he sexually harassed state Capitol Hill workers and also warns representatives in his letter that if they kick him out, their own due process rights could be at stake in the figure.
The 32-year-old lawmaker says in his letter to the 99-member House that "if members can be expelled based solely upon anonymous sources, and without any form of legitimate due process, any member who opposes House leadership could easily suffer the same fate."
Durham attacked Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery's investigation into the sexual harassment allegations as "nothing more than a collection of anonymous hearsay - not just hearsay - anonymous hearsay."
"My sole motivation in this letter is to maintain my innocence, stand on the constitutional conservative principles that I took an oath and was duly elected to defend, while protecting due process rights for both myself and future members," wrote Durham, a former House Republican majority whip, to lawmakers.
State House members could take up the issue of Durham's alleged behavior and expulsion during a special legislative session that begins this afternoon. The special session was called by Gov. Bill Haslam - not over Durham's alleged misdeeds - but to repeal a new state DUI law that threatens to cost Tennessee government some $60 million in federal highway funds.
House Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, has said the House will take up the issue of Durham's expulsion as a procedural issue during the three-day
legislative session.
In Slatery's report, 22 women who work at or have worked at the state Capitol as staffers, interns and lobbyists charge that Durham engaged in inappropropriate behavior or outright sexual harassment.
In addition, questions have been raised about his campaign financial account. Durham lost his GOP primary campaign last month after suspending his effort in the midst of the report's release.
Durham says in his letter that 16 of the women involved were lobbyists and most of those worked either for unions or for groups that supported Haslam's Insure Tennessee plan to expand Medicaid. Durham opposed the measure.
Durham appeared to suggest in the letter that he might expose the women who complained anonymously. But he also says in the letter that he doesn't plan to come to the special session unless there is reason to believe he will be allowed to mount a serious defense.
"And while I stand ready to respond to specific accusations and accept a mild degree of fault, I must also address the reprehensible nature of how this entire situation was handled," Durham wrote.
Lawmakers want to prevent him from qualifying for a state pension which, if he serves until Nov. 8, he ultimately would be eligible for when he turns 55.
The last time state lawmakers expelled one of their own members was back in 1980.