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State Rep. Daniel Grossberg’s local party has banned him from attending events and celebrations until an ethics investigation into his conduct is completed.
The Louisville Democratic Party met Wednesday night and released a public statement Thursday morning via X (formerly Twitter) urging the Louisville congressman not to attend local party events while the “investigation is ongoing.”
“While we understand that the allegations against Representative Grossberg are only allegations at this time, we ask that he temporarily refrain from attending (Louisville Democratic Party) events and meetings while the House Ethics Committee’s investigation is ongoing,” the party’s statement said.
The move came after numerous reports by the Herald-Leader detailing complaints about inappropriate behavior and sexual harassment against Grossberg.
In the most recent story published last week, the Herald-Leader reported on two women who received inappropriate, harassing or sexually suggestive messages from Grossberg.
A third woman in the story reported an incident of alleged sexual harassment in Grossberg’s office, in which he drank several alcoholic drinks in front of her and asked her questions about her genitals and sex life.
The Herald-Leader is not publicly naming any of the women who have made allegations against Grossberg because of fears of retaliation in Frankfort’s tightly-knit political world and the sensitivity of the allegations. The Herald-Leader cited messages or experiences from six different women, as well as some of Grossberg’s college writings, over the course of its three weeks of coverage.
The party’s statement said it was excluding him from events because of its “commitment to creating a safe and respectful environment for all.”
“We are committed to ending all forms of harassment by fostering a culture of inclusivity, providing robust support systems and holding ourselves accountable,” the statement said. “We believe that everyone deserves a harassment-free environment and we are committed to ensuring that this standard is met.”
Grossberg, a first-term congressman who is running unopposed in November, and his lawyer, Anna Whites, have strongly denied any wrongdoing or abuse of power. But he apologized to anyone he made feel uncomfortable.
“I deny all allegations of sexual harassment or abuse of authority,” he wrote in a statement to the Herald-Leader. “I sincerely apologize to anyone who was made uncomfortable by something I said or wrote.”
In his defense of Grossberg, Whites also mentioned that the politician had a “neurodivergent diagnosis.”
Grossberg and his attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the local party’s move.
Following earlier reporting in the Herald-Leader, the Kentucky Young Democrats called for his resignation, and the Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives called for an Ethics Committee investigation, suspended him from the caucus, and stripped him of all interim committee assignments and office space.
Governor Andy Beshear called the allegations “very concerning.” Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman said it was “outrageous” that women “are still subjected to the type of harassment that has been reported.”
Neither of them called for Grossberg’s resignation.
A handful of other Democrats, including the Democratic candidate for Central Kentucky’s Sixth Congressional District, have called on Grossberg to resign. In recent days, the calls have grown louder. Emma Curtis, a candidate for City Council who was among the leading protesters against Senate Bill 150 in 2023, and Teri Carter, a progressive writer and activist, have both called for Grossberg’s resignation.
