LINCOLN — State Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte stayed true to his word Monday and resigned from the Legislature.
Gov. Pete Ricketts’ office confirmed that it had received his resignation letter, effective Monday at 11:59 p.m.
Groene had said he intended to resign, after a former aide went public with a harassment complaint against him.
Receipt of Sen Groene Resignation
His former staffer said she found photographs of herself on Groene’s computer that were taken without her consent.
She told the Nebraska Examiner the photographs were “objectifying and demeaning,” including some that showed “close-ups of provocative body parts with explicit subject lines.”
Groene denied that he treated the legislative aide as a “sexual object.” He said he had taken about 20 pictures of her with office visitors and a few of her alone.
In an interview Friday, Groene said he needed to focus on “eternity and my family.”
On Saturday, Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha requested a criminal investigation of Groene’s alleged conduct.
She and fellow Omaha Sens. Machaela Cavanaugh and Patty Pansing Brooks said they would like to see the Legislature revisit how it handles harassment complaints from legislative staffers.
Today, those complaints are sent to senators on the Legislature’s Executive Board.
Ricketts will appoint Groene’s successor, as early as Tuesday.
“The people of District 42 deserve a conservative voice that reflects their values,” Ricketts said in a statement. “I am working to swiftly appoint someone who will fit this bill.”
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