WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:27 — 1.7MB)
Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma is facing allegations of sexual misconduct and the misuse of campaign contributions.
The Republican Speaker for the Indiana House of Representatives is facing allegations of a sexual encounter with a former Democratic intern, dating back to 1992.
The incident in question would have occured 26 years ago when Bosma was in the Republican minority at the Statehouse. Allegedly, the intern performed oral sex on Bosma during her 1992 internship for House Democrats.
Bosma denies the encounter ever occured.
The Republican Speaker allegedly used 40,000 dollars in campaign funds to hire legal defense. The tactics of the legal defense firm have been criticized by the former intern, Kandy Green.
Green has not accused Bosma of any crime. She’s allegedly stated that the encounter was consensual at the time. But Green has since reported that she and her family have been “shaken” by Bosma’s legal team’s ‘aggressive’ tactics.
Bosma’s legal defense firm, headed by Linda Pence, responded by saying there was no intimidation or threats while they worked on the Speaker’s behalf. Green also indicated that looking back she feared for her internship position due to Bosma’s authority.
The controversy comes at a time when Speaker Bosma, and seven other Indiana legislators, are drafting the States’ first legislative sexual harassment policy. Unlike other States, Indiana has no specific law regarding the behavior of its State House legislators.
Additionally, over the summer Bosma was heavily involved with sexual misconduct allegations against Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill.
Bosma was among other Republican lawmakers and democrats to call for Hill’s resignation over the allegations he groped a representative and three legislative staffers at a party in March.
Indiana Democrats have called upon Governor Eric Holcomb to investigate the allegations against Speaker Bosma. Governor Holcomb has initially rejected their request, stating that he would need an official report, beyond the Indianapolis Star’s report.
Holcomb did not define the parameters of what an official report would look like, but stated it must be initiated by either Green or Bosma.
A member of the General Assembly since 1986, Bosma is currently running for re-election this November in House District 88, in northeast Indianapolis.
