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The Indiana Attorney General’s Office says it plans, “to defend vigorously the State of Indiana and the Attorney General in a lawsuit,” against the attorney general and the state, which was filed on Tuesday.
The suit against Hill and Indiana was filed by four women, including a Democratic lawmaker and three legislative aides. The suit alleges that Hill sexually harassed and assaulted the women while drunk at an end-of-the-legislative-session party, in March of last year.
Attorney General Hill has repeatedly denied these allegations since they were first announced. In response to the filing of the suit, The Attorney General’s Office stated, “The lawsuit is related to allegations that have now been reviewed four times. The investigations all concluded without any recommendations for further action.” Hill, the state’s highest ranking law enforcement official, has refused calls for his resignation, including from fellow Republican, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb.
Last year, a state-appointed special prosecutor, Dan Sigler, chose not to file criminal charges related to the allegations against Hill.
According to the Indy Star, Sigler said that he found the women’s allegations to be credible, but that the evidence against Hill was lacking. Representative Mara Candelaria Reardon, along with three legislative aids, Gabrielle McLemore, Niki DaSilva, and Samantha Lozano, filed the suit with their lawyers during a press conference, Tuesday.
The suit alleges the women experienced discrimination, as a result of their speaking out about Hill’s alleged behavior last year. They claim their case has not gotten the proper response from the state.
The women’s lawyers say that the lawsuit calls for the state to rework its inadequate approach to sexual harassment allegations.
The allegations against Attorney General Hill are currently being reviewed by a special committee from the State’s Supreme Court. If found to have violated the ethics code for state lawyers, Hill faces potential disbarment as an attorney.
Hill’s office has, so far, spent tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to finance his legal defense, according to an investigation from The Indiana Lawyer.
For WFHB, I’m Graham Capito
