Another congressman accused of molesting a page

[JaJae]

Once again we have an issue of AP not reporting the party affiliation of a Democrat in trouble for misconduct. I made a thread about a couple months ago regarding a congressman assaulting airline employees and more than half the media refusing to report his party affiliation. This time people are questioning the ethics, bias, etc of AP. Their response is that they only release party affiliation when it's germane to the story. I wonder why conservative party affiliation is the only time it is germane to these types of stories

Regardless here's the story:

Lawmaker sued for allegedly groping a male legislative page...

Oct 2 2007 3:45PM
Associated Press
Lawmaker sued for allegedly groping a male legislative page

(Note contents) FORT PIERRE, S.D. (AP) State Senator Dan Sutton of Flandreau has been sued for $250,000 in damages by former legislative page Austin Wiese (WEES), who alleges Sutton groped him in a motel room in Fort Pierre.

Wiese's lawsuit alleges two counts of sexual battery and one count of sexual assault. It's a civil lawsuit no criminal charges have been filed.

The suit claims Sutton invited Wiese to stay with him at the motel during the 2006 session.

Court documents say they shared the one bed in the room and that on three nights in a row, Sutton inappropriately touched and fondled Wiese, who then moved out of the room.

Wiese, now 19, says he has suffered mental anguish, shame, indignity, embarrassment, pain and suffering.

He's being represented by former Congressman and Governor Bill Janklow.

Early this year, the state Senate held a hearing on the allegations. The Senate then voted to censure Sutton rather than expel him.

He got lucky, it appears Wiese may have just barely been 18. Which is a good thing for Sutton. I wonder what his defense will be? Maybe he isn't really gay, he just has a wide stance in bed.

[Donkey®]

If it isn't being reported, why am I seeing it in the news? Also, this is a civil lawsuit...I am pretty sure Foley was a criminal investigation. Anyone can sue anyone.

[WickedLou9]

Originally Posted by Donkey®

If it isn't being reported, why am I seeing it in the news? Also, this is a civil lawsuit...I am pretty sure Foley was a criminal investigation. Anyone can sue anyone.

He means that they don't say it was a democrat. If it was a republican, they always make sure to say that " A GOP lawmaker" or something to that effect.

[motivez]

While I certainly don't condone of someone using their position over someone as a means to obtain sexual gratification, how can he have been molested if he was over 18 at the time? Hyperbolic thread titles ftl

I guess we'll see what happens, I don't see much in the way of evidence in the article you posted so I wont rush to judgment, whereas with Foley and others there were the IM's etc, but if he acted inappropriately I hope he's out of office.. though a significantly less important office, being in the state's legislature

Also, @ the idea of AP bias solely in favor of the left.. there's plenty of outrage from the left about the AP and their conservative / neocon-shilling bias

I don't think it's an organizational thing either way, I think they just have some biased writers.

[SoFlaJDM]

looks like it's "not being reported" because

a. it was legal
b. his party and voting records probably don't directly contradict his way of life

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by SoFlaJDM

looks like it's "not being reported" because

a. it was legal
b. his party and voting records probably don't directly contradict his way of life

a. Politicians do a lot of things that are legal, yet make it to the news.
b. What way of life is that? Fondling male pages?

Originally Posted by motivez

Also, @ the idea of AP bias solely in favor of the left..

I haven't seen one time where AP failed to release a politicians party in a sex scandal unless that politician was Democrat.

[motivez]

I guess that means there have never been incidents of bias that favors conservatives!

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by motivez

I guess that means there have never been incidents of bias that favors conservatives!

I'm sure there is. Even the NY Times will occasionally write a piece that goes against liberals. That's not a reflection of the overall bias of their reporting.

[Scrum]

Better to not identify than screw it up all together.

[motivez]

Originally Posted by JaJae

I'm sure there is. Even the NY Times will occasionally write a piece that goes against liberals. That's not a reflection of the overall bias of their reporting.

And you have some sort of statistical analysis of every article ever published by the AP that shows, overall, they're biased in favor of liberals?

I'd say there's probably equal outrage on both sides. Search daily kos or one of the other progressive blogs and you'll see plenty of people bitching about how biased and unfair the AP's reporting is to issues they care about.

[motivez]

Originally Posted by Scrum

Better to not identify than screw it up all together.

Simple mistake with no malice involved, I'm sure

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by motivez

And you have some sort of statistical analysis of every article ever published by the AP that shows, overall, they're biased in favor of liberals?

Of course. Doesn't everybody?

I'd say there's probably equal outrage on both sides. Search daily kos or one of the other progressive blogs and you'll see plenty of people bitching about how biased and unfair the AP's reporting is to issues they care about.

I don't really value the opinion of DailyKos. Do they have some sort of statistical analysis of every article ever published by the AP that shows, overall, they're biased?

[SoFlaJDM]

Originally Posted by JaJae

a. Politicians do a lot of things that are legal, yet make it to the news.
b. What way of life is that? Fondling male pages?


I haven't seen one time where AP failed to release a politicians party in a sex scandal unless that politician was Democrat.

a. so what?
b. how is it any of your concern if it's legal?

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by SoFlaJDM

a. so what?
b. how is it any of your concern if it's legal?

Politicians can do a lot of things that are legal that America should be concerned about. He is a representative of our nation. His character and behavior is important.

[SoFlaJDM]

Originally Posted by JaJae

Politicians can do a lot of things that are legal that America should be concerned about. He is a representative of our nation. His character and behavior is important.

ok, how does sex between consenting adults affect his character?

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by SoFlaJDM

ok, how does sex between consenting adults affect his character?

It wasn't sex, and I don't think it was consenting. Hence the lawsuit..

[SoFlaJDM]

Originally Posted by JaJae

It wasn't sex, and I don't think it was consenting. Hence the lawsuit..

so he got assaulted?

and he's filing a CIVIL lawsuit a year later?

talk about indeed

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by SoFlaJDM

so he got assaulted?

and he's filing a CIVIL lawsuit a year later?

talk about indeed

Sexual assault = unwarranted gropings. Yes.

And a year later isn't that long considering the circumstance and whether he was still working with the man... He was 18.

[Stylerod]

This has been going on for a while. First time I have ever heard of it though. I wonder why?

South Dakota Senate takes action against Sen. Sutton
by Cara Hetland, Minnesota Public Radio
January 31, 2007

This afternoon, the South Dakota Senate voted to censure one of its members. On a vote of 32-2, the full Senate condemned Democratic Sen. Dan Sutton for allegations of sexual misconduct with a teenage page.

Sioux Falls, S.D. — This was the opportunity for members of the South Dakota Senate to comment publicly on the allegations against Sen. Dan Sutton. But no one rose on the floor to speak.

Sen. Scott Heidepriem, a Democrat, served as the co-chairman of the committee that investigated the allegations. Heideprem offered the committee's report for consideration by the full Senate. He told the Senate that committee members felt censure was the only appropriate middle ground.


"At the end of the day what the committee had to do was make a judgement," Heideprem said. "We had no firm standard to guide us. We did not have beyond a reasonable doubt or clear and convincing. We had to instead trust our own instinct as to what is appropriate under these circumstances."

A South Dakota teenager, 19-year-old Austin Wiese, testified that he and Sen. Dan Sutton shared a bed in a Fort Pierre hotel room. The Senator offered Wiese a place to stay while the teenager served as a legislative page for one week last year. Sutton and the Wiese family were close friends. Austin Wiese says while he was sleeping Sen. Sutton touched him inappropriately. The hearings became a he-said, he-said and it was up to lawmakers to decide who to believe. Investigations by the Attorney General had resulted in no criminal charges.

Even though there was no debate on the Senate floor, there was clear disagreement. The Republican chairman of the Senate committee urged lawmakers to expel Sen. Sutton. Republican Sen. Dave Knudson says he believed Austin Wiese, the legislative page, and that as a result Sen. Sutton should be expelled. Knutson's motion failed.

Political censure is a tough sentence for any politician, according to Bill Richardson, chairman of the University of South Dakota political science department. He calls this a public scolding that will follow Sutton.


"This will be a mark on his life that will be remarked upon when it comes time to write any history of his life that is candid and open, and any history of the Senate that is candid and open, Richardson said.

While it was appropriate for the senate to investigate one of it's own members, Richardson says time is running out for lawmakers to focus on other issues. The South Dakota Legislature meets for only 40 days and the half-way mark is next week. Richardson says many senators will now distance themselves from Sen. Dan Sutton.

"I don't envision Sen. Sutton being an enormously effective legislator in the time remaining in this session after the vote of the body as a whole," Richardson said.

Sen. Sutton is not listed as a prime sponsor for any legislation this year. He has signed on as a co-sponsor to about 20 bills. Sutton won re-election to his senate seat in November. He will face term limits at the end of this term in the South Dakota Senate.