Former Texas House Rep. Bryan Slaton (R)Texas Rep. Bryan Slaton (R) resigned from office on Monday after an investigation found he’d gotten a 19-year-old legislative aide drunk and then had unprotected sex with her.
Still, the Texas House voted unanimously today to expel him from office.
Slaton is the first member of the Texas House to be expelled since 1927.
Upon a 147-0 vote after a solemn, sometimes angry and tearful recounting of Rep. Bryan Slaton’s inappropriate sexual relationship with a 19-year-old aide, the Royse City Republican became the Legislature's first member to be cast out of office since 1927. https://t.co/J4e7h0aih8
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) May 9, 2023
From the Texas Tribune:
Although Slaton resigned Monday, unless expelled he was entitled to his House salary and per diem, Murr said. Until voters elect a replacement, Slaton also would have continued to sit on assigned committees and count toward establishing a working quorum of the House.
Slaton, a prominent anti-LGBTQ lawmaker who has described drag performers as “perverted adults,” allegedly invited the woman to his Austin apartment and gave her a large cup of rum and coke, then refilled it twice.
The committee said she was rendered unable to “effectively consent to intercourse and could not indicate whether it was welcome or unwelcome.”
The report also included the fact that Slaton had unprotected sex with the woman. House Republicans were reportedly not happy that she went to a drug store seeking Plan B medication to avoid pregnancy.
It’s worth noting that Slaton is a married Baptist youth pastor who, of course, has supported several anti-LGBTQ measures. His own bills called for criminalizing drag shows calling drag performers “groomers.” Oh the irony…
He also called for imposing the death penalty for women who get abortions.
One House Republican, Rep. Steve Toth castigated Slaton on social media for neither mentioning the inappropriate relationship nor apologizing for it.
Inconceivable. His resignation gave no apology to the young woman he violated, his wife whom he betrayed or his district that he failed.
No remorse. No acceptance of responsibility. He’s the victim that rides off in to the sunset. That was the resignation of a narcissist.— Steve Toth (@Toth_4_Texas) May 8, 2023
Here is the removal GOP Rep. Bryan Slaton’s name from the voting board after the Texas House voted 147-0 to expel him.
Slaton—who has led the crusade against “grooming” in Texas—had a sexual relationship with a teenage intern, getting her drunk and pressuring her into sex. pic.twitter.com/tdfUzZaeIG
— Sawyer Hackett (@SawyerHackett) May 9, 2023