Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill has defiantly rejected calls to resign, saying his name has been “dragged through the gutter” after allegations that he inappropriately touched a lawmaker and several female legislative staffers at a party, reports the Associated Press. The Republican said in a Monday news conference where he did not take questions that he has been unfairly treated by lawmakers and the media, and stands “falsely and publicly accused of abhorrent behavior.” Hill said, “Apparently in this climate the standard is guilty and ‘who cares if you’re innocent?’ A week ago today, I had a name. And I want my name back.”
The claims against Hill were made public after an internal legislative memo detailing the allegations was leaked last week. In it, a state lawmaker and three legislative staffers said Hill drunkenly groped them during a March party. Democratic Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon and Gabrielle McLemore, the Indiana Senate Democrats’ communications director, came forward Friday saying they were among the victims. Reardon said after the news conference that Hill had “lied about his actions to the very citizens he serves.” Rep. Ryan Dvorak said,”The attorney general calls a press conference to cry about not being able to tell his side of the story, then immediately refuses to tell his side of the story.” Democrats were the first to call for him to step down. They were joined on Thursday by Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb and GOP legislative leaders, who said they believe the women.