Local Demos call for resignation of House Speaker Cameron Sexton
Published 10:06 am Friday, April 28, 2023
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The Carter County Democratic Party’s Executive Committee passed a resolution this week demanding the resignation of Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton.
The resolution was presented by CCDP President Diane Wilde.
“This resolution affirms the CCDP’s commitment to holding our legislators to account, to demanding the same ethical behavior of every member equally in order to address the issues confronting Tennesseans. As a basic tenet of a democratic and functional government, Speaker Sexton has failed to hold each member to account, notably that of Representative Scotty Campbell of the Third District who was found guilty of egregious ethical violations against two interns by the Tennessee State Ethics Committee on March 29, 2023. Instead, Rep. Campbell held his position until April 20, 2023, when a news report revealed the Ethics Committee judgment. Only then did he resign.
“Speaker Sexton and the Legislative Committee did not move to censure, ask for his resignation, or move to unseat Rep. Campbell. Speaker Sexton allowed the representative to keep his position and his participation in the committees on which he served, including the Judicial Committee.
“We condemn Speaker Sexton’s lack of action which illustrates that behavior among his Republican colleagues is held to a different standard than among his Democratic colleagues. For this reason, we demand his resignation as unfit to hold the office,” the resolution in part read.