Florida

FL Lawmaker Resigns After Sending 'Sexxxy Mama' Texts To Federal Prosecutor

Jillian Rayfield | February 25, 2012, 10:00AM

A Florida state Rep. has resigned after admitting to sexting a female, married federal prosecutor with messages like "Sexxxy mama?"

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Kenneth Kratz

Judge: Former DA Has Not Established That 'Sexting' Was Part Of His Job Description

Jillian Rayfield | December 14, 2011, 11:02AM

Calumet County, Wisconsin, District Attorney Kenneth Kratz

A federal judge will allow a lawsuit against former Wisconsin DA Kenneth Kratz, who is being sued for sexual harassment by a domestic abuse victim that he "sexted."

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Kenneth Kratz

Sexting Former Wisconsin DA Accused Of Sexual Harrassment By State Agency

Jillian Rayfield | December 1, 2011, 11:12AM

Calumet County, Wisconsin, District Attorney Kenneth Kratz

The Office of Lawyer Regulation in Wisconsin released a report this week that accuses former Wisconsin District Attorney Kenneth Kratz of sexual harassment and eleven violations of state rules of conduct for his alleged "sexting" of domestic abuse victims whose cases he was handling.

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Louisiana

City Employee Reportedly Said Councilman Sexted, Stalked Her

Jillian Rayfield | July 11, 2011, 2:10PM

A city employee in Louisiana reportedly claimed that a lewd picture sent to her by Councilman Joe Stagni, which he has defended as part of a consensual relationship, was actually part of a larger pattern of inappropriate and unwanted behavior by the councilman.

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Anthony Weiner

Pelosi Officially Asks For Weiner Ethics Investigation

Susan Crabtree | June 7, 2011, 3:27PM

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA) officially requested an ethics investigation of Rep. Anthony Weiner's (D-NY) extramarital sexual online relationships with six woman after he admitted sending lewd photos of himself in a chaotic news conference Monday.

In a terse letter sent Tuesday, Pelosi called for an Ethics Committee investigation "to determine whether any official resources were used or any other violation of House rules occurred." She first said she would call for an ethics probe Monday almost immediately after Weiner admitted to concocting an elaborate hacking tale to keep the online sexual encounters under wraps.

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Anthony Weiner

Weiner Faces Mounting Legal And Ethics Questions Over Sexting Scandal

Susan Crabtree | June 7, 2011, 12:13PM

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY)

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) may be in far more ethical and legal trouble than initially thought.

New information about Weiner's use of Congressional resources to conduct extramarital online relationships -- and possibly to help manage the chaotic public relations fallout since their discovery over Memorial Day weekend -- is raising red flags for ethics watchdogs.

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Kenneth Kratz

No Criminal Charges For 'Sexting' Former WI District Attorney

Jillian Rayfield | March 28, 2011, 3:28PM

Calumet County DA Kenneth Kratz

The Wisconsin Department of Justice announced Monday that former District Attorney Kenneth Kratz won't face criminal charges over his alleged "sexting" of several women, some of them victims of domestic abuse whose cases Kratz was handling.

The DOJ said it investigated 15 complaints from "different females who alleged improprieties that warranted further investigation," eight of which involved an "identifiable criminal offense," but "prosecutors have concluded that they can not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he committed a specific violation of a criminal law."

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Kenneth Kratz

'Sexting' Former DA: Not My Fault Those Sexts Offended People

Jillian Rayfield | January 17, 2011, 2:59PM

Calumet County DA Kenneth Kratz

Former Wisconsin District Attorney Kenneth Kratz argued today that it was through the "conduct, negligence and behavior" of Stephanie Van Groll that she came to sue him for sending sexually explicit text messages while he was handling her domestic abuse case.

Kratz filed a response today to a suit by Stephanie Van Groll, who claims Kratz violated her constitutional rights when he sent her text messages like: "Are u the kind of girl that likes secret contact with an older married elected DA...the riskier the better? Or do you want to stop right now before any issues?" At the time, Kratz was overseeing Van Groll's domestic abuse case against her boyfriend. The suit argues that "under Wisconsin law, witnesses have the right to be protected from harm arising out of their cooperation with law enforcement."

Kratz's response argued that he "acted in a manner that was proper, reasonable, lawful and in exercise of good faith and reasonable standards of conduct at all relevant times," and that "if any injuries were suffered by the Plaintiff, all such injuries and damages were caused by her own conduct, negligence and behavior," or through that of a third party.

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District Attorney

Wisconsin Gov't Won't Provide Defense For 'Sexting' Former DA

Jillian Rayfield | December 2, 2010, 9:14AM

Calumet County DA Kenneth Kratz

The state of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Department of Justice have refused to defend former District Attorney Kenneth Kratz, who is facing a lawsuit from a woman who alleges Kratz sent her sexually suggestive text messages while he was handling her domestic abuse case.

State Justice Department spokesman William Cosh confirmed to TPM that the DOJ declined to represent Kratz, who is also under criminal investigation by the Wisconsin DOJ, which Cosh said "remains an open and ongoing investigation."

Cosh noted that it would be up to the Governor to decide whether the state should provide a defense for Kratz, which Chief Legal Counsel Susan Crawford declined to do yesterday evening.

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Kenneth Kratz

Domestic Abuse Victim: I Had 'Sexual Encounter' With 'Sexting' Former DA

Jillian Rayfield | November 15, 2010, 11:23AM

Calumet County DA Kenneth Kratz

New court documents from the Wisconsin Department of Justice show that one of the state's witnesses against former District Attorney Kenneth Kratz was a woman who alleged that in 1999 she had a "sexual encounter" with Kratz at her home, while he was handling her domestic abuse case against her husband.

There are reportedly five women who have accused Kratz of behaving inappropriately during his time as DA, including several women who claim he sent them sexually suggestive text messages. Another woman claimed Kratz invited her on a date to an autopsy.

Kratz was scheduled for a court hearing on October 8, but resigned before he was due in court.

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Kenneth Kratz

'Sexting' Former DA Charged By Wisconsin DOJ, Sued By Victim

Jillian Rayfield | October 15, 2010, 5:03PM

Calumet County DA Kenneth Kratz

Former Wisconsin DA Kenneth Kratz has been sued by Stephanie Van Groll, who Kratz admitted to sending sexually suggestive text messages while he was handling her domestic abuse case. The Washington Post reports that the civil suit claims Van Groll's constitutional rights were violated because "under Wisconsin law, witnesses have the right to be protected from harm arising out of their cooperation with law enforcement." The damages sought are unspecified.

The suit was filed just hours after the Wisconsin Department of Justice opened a criminal investigation into Kratz's actions.

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Kenneth Kratz

'Sexting' DA Officially Resigns, Effective Immediately

Jillian Rayfield | October 4, 2010, 4:45PM

Calumet County DA Kenneth Kratz

Wisconsin District Attorney Kenneth Kratz resigned today, effective immediately, after several women alleged he sent sexually inappropriate text messages during his time as DA in Calumet County.

"I have lost the confidence of the people I represent due primarily to personal issues which have now affected my professional career," Kratz said in a statement today.

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Wisconsin

Lawyer: 'Sexting' Wisconsin DA To Resign

Jillian Rayfield | September 27, 2010, 1:47PM

Calumet County DA Kenneth Kratz

In a hearing today, the lawyer for Wisconsin District Attorney Kenneth Kratz said that the DA will step down from his post before October 8, when there is another hearing scheduled to begin removal proceedings.

Kratz's announcement follows allegations by at least five women who say he behaved inappropriately as a county DA, and Kratz's own admission that he sent one domestic abuse victim sexually suggestive texts while he was handling her case.

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Kenneth Kratz

Fifth Woman Comes Forward In 'Sexting' DA Case -- Alleges He Offered Her Help In Exchange For Sex

Jillian Rayfield | September 27, 2010, 10:58AM

Calumet County DA Kenneth Kratz

A fifth woman has come forward with allegations against Wisconsin District Attorney Kenneth Kratz, who has previously admitted to sending inappropriate text messages to a woman whose domestic abuse case he was handling. In the latest allegations, an unidentified woman claims that Kratz offered to help her prepare her victim statement for her domestic abuse case if she agreed to have sex with him.

"We'll get that written and we'll go to bed," she alleges he said, according to the Green Bay Press Gazette.

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Kenneth Kratz

Wisconsin Regulators Reopen Investigation Into 'Sexting' District Attorney

Jillian Rayfield | September 24, 2010, 2:04PM

Calumet County DA Kenneth Kratz

The Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation has reopened its investigation into District Attorney Kenneth Kratz, who allegedly sent sexually suggestive text message to four women, including one whose domestic abuse case he was handling.

Kratz has admitted to sending Stephanie Van Groll inappropriate text messages in October 2009, when he was handling her domestic abuse case. Since then, three other women have reportedly come forward alleging that Kratz sent them suggestive text messages. One of the women also accused Kratz of inviting her to an autopsy on a date.

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Kenneth Kratz

Two More Women Allege Wisconsin DA Sent Suggestive Texts -- How Will You 'Please Me In Between The Sheets?'

Jillian Rayfield | September 22, 2010, 1:50PM

Calumet County DA Kenneth Kratz

A total of four women have now reportedly come forward and accused Kenneth Kratz, district attorney in Calumet County, Wisconsin, of sending them sexually suggestive text messages.

Among the latest allegations, law student Maria Ruskiewicz claims she went to Kratz to get a drug conviction from when she was a teenager removed from her record, and Kratz sent her texts that leveraged his position. "What are you going to do to please me in between the sheets?" the DA wrote, according to Ruskiewicz.

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Kenneth Kratz

'Sexting' Wisconsin DA Also Allegedly Invited A Date To An Autopsy

Jillian Rayfield | September 20, 2010, 6:23PM

Wisconsin District Attorney Kenneth Kratz, who sent sexually suggestive text messages to a domestic abuse victim whose ex-boyfriend he was prosecuting, has been accused of inappropriate behavior with another woman, according to a letter made public today by Gov. Jim Doyle's office.

According to The Wisconsin State-Journal, the letter was written by a woman who once allegedly went on a date with Kratz, and said that he "even went so far as to inviting me to go with him to the autopsy (provided I would be his girlfriend and would wear high heels and a skirt)."

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Kenneth Kratz

District Attorney In WI Sent Sexually Suggestive Texts To Domestic Abuse Victim

Jillian Rayfield | September 17, 2010, 1:49PM

Kenneth Kratz, district attorney in Calumet County, Wisconsin, sent sexually suggestive texts to a domestic abuse victim last year, during the time he was prosecuting her case against her ex-boyfriend.

Kratz was handling the case of Stephanie Van Groll, 26, in October 2009, after she accused her ex-boyfriend of nearly choking her to death. Van Groll complained that in a two-day span, Kratz sent her "20-plus" texts attempting to start an affair with her. One of the texts said: "Are u the kind of girl that likes secret contact with an older married elected DA...the riskier the better? Or do you want to stop right now before any issues?"

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