State Sen. Daylin Leach Accused Of Misconduct, Denies Allegations

Allegations surfaced on Sunday that Montgomery County's State Sen. Daylin Leach (D-17) has engaged in inappropriate behavior with female members of his staff over the years. Leach has adamantly denied the allegations.

Gov. Tom Wolf was among those who joined the call for Leach to resign in the wake of the report, originally published by the Philadelphia Inquirer. The report alleges that Leach, who is known for his humor, turned conversations into sexual discussions, and occasionally inappropriately touched female staffers.

Some of the former staffers interviewed in the report mentioned Leach's sometimes-bawdy humor, but remembered nothing inappropriate. But 11 others, according to the report, claimed there was misconduct.

Leach, 56, who is married and has two children, penned a lengthy response to the accusations on Facebook.

"It is true that sometimes I touch people when I talk to them. A clasped forearm, a pat on the back, but never anything inappropriate or sexual," he wrote. "That said, the two alleged incidents that were described to me by the Inquirer did not happen. I have brief discussions in public places dozens of times a day. Of these incidents, I remember one only vaguely and the other not at all. But they both allegedly occurred in crowed rooms with lots of people and cameras around. I was never alone with the women involved. And I never, in any way, intentionally or unintentionally touched them inappropriately. It did not happen."

In a statement, Gov. Wolf said that Leach's policy track record is irrelevant in wake of the accusations.

“This disturbing behavior is absolutely unacceptable. Senator Leach should resign," he said.

Leach alleged that a "whisper campaign" of rumors begun by political opponents has been swirling against him since June. Aubrey Montgomery, a well-known fundraiser and a former Leach employee is one of the individuals who went on record in the Inquirer story. She alleged several incidents at fundraising events, primaries, and the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

"He’d put his arm around me, and his hand would linger on the small of my back, and briefly graze my butt,” Montgomery told the Inquirer.

Leach said Montgomery was as "racy as anyone else" when the office was discussing comedic topics, and that as recently as a week ago, said she would donate to his campaign again, as she has in the past. Leach also said that Montgomery was working for the opponent who began the rumors against him.

Matt Goldfine, the Field Director of Leach's 2008 state senate campaign, backed up Montgomery's story.

"During the 2008 campaign, Senator Leach would sometimes treat female interns differently than male interns, and in ways that made me feel uncomfortable, including tickling them or hugging them excessively," Goldfine said. "This did not happen once; there was a pattern of behavior that I believe was totally inappropriate."

Goldfine says the he has twice turned down donations from the opponent which Leach is referring to (that opponent has not been identified by either side).

"Politics is, sadly, an ugly business," Leach said. "And given the current atmosphere, these sorts of fishing expeditions into everyone’s pasts are likely to become standard. That’s a shame. I worry that we risk weaponizing and trivializing a long overdue and critically important movement that is just starting to gain steam."

Leach is a vocal progressive on a number of issues, and described himself as a "fierce" supporter of women's rights.

(AP Photo/Bradley C. Bower)