[Gemini Cricket]

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles, and Assembly Republican Leader Sam Blakeslee of San Luis Obispo released statements this morning chastising Duvall for his comments and announcing that Duvall has been removed from the Assembly Rules Committee and the Assembly Utilities and Commerce committee, which he vice chaired.

Reports by KCAL and the OC Weekly said that one of the women Duvall was sleeping with was a lobbyist for utilities companies.

The Assembly leaders also announced that the Ethics Committee and Rules Committee would be looking to the matter.

“I am saddened and disappointed in the recent comments made by Assemblymember Mike Duvall,” Bass said in a written statement. “There is no question his comments were inappropriate. In consultation with Minority Leader Sam Blakeslee, I have removed Assemblymember Duvall from the Assembly’s Utilities and Commerce and Rules Committees and I have directed our Ethics Committee to look into this matter. The Assembly has some very important policy work to complete in the next couple of days and we will not allow this situation to become a distraction.”

Said Blakeslee: “I am terribly disappointed by the situation surrounding Assemblyman Duvall’s comments. The statements he made were inappropriate and unacceptable. I have asked Mr. Duvall to step down from his post as a member of caucus leadership and I have requested that Speaker Bass remove Mr. Duvall as Vice Chairman of the Assembly Utilities and Commerce committee and as a member of the Assembly Rules Committee. This matter is currently under review by the Assembly Rules Committee and we are awaiting their findings.”

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