O.C. Assemblyman Duvall resigns amid recorded sexual comments

Orange County Assemblyman Michael Duvall, who was caught on an open mike making sexual comments, resigned today.

“I am deeply saddened that my inappropriate comments have become a major distraction for my colleagues in the Assembly, who are working hard on the very serious problems facing our state," he said in a statement posted on his website. "I have come to the conclusion that it would not be fair to my family, my constituents or to my friends on both sides of the aisle to remain in office. Therefore, I have decided to resign my office, effective immediately, so that the Assembly can get back to work."

Capitol Blackberries are buzzing after KCAL-TV Los Angeles late Tuesday night aired a videotape of the Orange County GOP lawmaker talking to a colleague at a committee hearing in explicit detail about recent trysts.

In the KCAL report, Duvall (R-Yorba Linda), the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee vice chairman, appears not to realize that his microphone is on during a lull in a July committee hearing and talks about his conquest of two women.

Reporter Dave Lopez then reports that Duvall says on the tape that the women with whom he has been having sex are lobbyists.

The report alleges that one of the lobbyists works for a utility with business before Duvall's committee but does not name her.

Later in the report, Duvall is seen ducking Lopez on the Assembly floor and in the hallways outside the chamber as the reporter confronts him with questions about his sexual encounters.

The Assembly Legislative Ethics Committee is looking into the reports about Duvall's alleged relationship with the lobbyist, a source close to the committee said this morning.

Members of the ethics panel plan to meet today with their legal counsel to determine what action they might take, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity for lack of authority to speak for the committee.

"They are taking this very seriously," the source said.

Meanwhile, Duvall posted this apology on his campaign website:  “I made a mistake and I sincerely apologize. I deeply regret the comments I made in what I believed to be a private conversation. This is a private matter and I ask that everyone respect the privacy of all involved.”

Duvall joined the Assembly in 2006, representing the 72nd District, which includes the cities of Fullerton, Anaheim, Placentia, Orange, Brea, Yorba Linda and La Habra.

He is a former Yorba Linda City Councilman and member of the Orange County Sanitation District board and Orange County Transportation Authority. According to his Assembly website, he also runs an insurance business with his wife.

-- Evan Halper in Sacramento

Photo: Mike Duvall campaign office

Comments

[Birtha]

"Family
 Values" "Christian Values"

When I hear any politician say those words I Immediately think they are hypocrite - perverts.

Michael Duvall now joins, Gov Mark Sanford, Sen. John Ensign, John Edwards, Sen. Larry Craig ect..

But Duvall used a lobbyist prostitute!

[Robin Peoples]

Oh, so it's just TALKING about it on an open mic that he regrets -- not the actual acts of adulterous depravity themselves.

[The Author]

Haha! The Republicans just keep on delivering Grade A 100% hypocrites elected to public office. Nice family values idiot.

[Da Maverick]

In general, I would agree that his infidelity is a private matter best left to him, his mistresses, and his wife to sort out.

However, the fact that he was on the Assembly Utilities Committee and that his mistresses were lobbyists for some of these regulated utilities, well then, no it's not a private matter. Come clean Mister Family Values.

[Anonymous]

Duvall regrets his *comments*? He has completely missed the point. Wow. I hope the ethics committee (and his wife) throw the book at him.

[Melony]

Republican Hypocrite. He's a 'family values' conservative. Listen to the tape. His talk is pretty vulgar. He can use that kind of disrespectful language about women but promotes any woman views.

[Jay Jonson]

Another Republican "family values" hypocrite. Is anyone surprised anymore. No doubt he voted for Proposition 8 in order to preserve the sanctity of marriage.

[Steve Rhodes]

The problem wasn't his comments (beyond that they were the reason he was caught).

The problem was having sex with lobbyists which is not a private matter.

The same with his hypocrisy.

[Carlos Norton]

One of my female friends said: "Old men only give two things: pity or money" maybe we should add UNLESS HE IS AN OLD REPUBLICAN ASSEMBLYMAN... then maybe he can help you with your lobbying.

[LH Resident]

I'm glad I did not vote for this pervert and those who did should regret it.

[anon]

ha ha

[Family Values]

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[I AM AMERICA]

So, just in case you were losing track of the GOP white men (and occasionaly women) hypocritical scandals out there:

Mark Sanford – votes to impeach Bill Clinton for having an affair and lying about it, and then has an affair and lies about it and pays for it with state funds.

John Ensign – calls for the impeachment of Bill Clinton, says ‘he has no credibility left’, then has an affair with a staff member while giving her family members jobs with public funds.

Larry Craig – attacks ‘nasty boy’ Bill Clinton repeatedly for having an extramarital affair, then gets caught soliciting gay sex in a bathroom by a police officer.

Mark Foley – attacks Clinton’s “vile” affair and then spends several years having sex with young male pages and covering it up.

David Vitter – calls for the resignation of Bill Clinton while having a multi-year relationship with ‘the DC Madam’.

Newt Gingrich – had enough sense not to attack Clinton because he was already having sex with future wife number three, Calista something or other, while Clinton was having his affair.

Tom DeLay – leads the move to impeach Clinton while he is engaged in bribery and corruption scams for which he is ultimately convicted and sentenced to prison.

Ed Schrock (R-VA) – another conservative ‘family values’ Republican here in Virginia with a 90% rating from the Christian Coalition who resigns after being outed in a gay sex scandal

Helen Chenowith (R-ID)- staunchly conservative Republican Congresswoman who called for the resignation of Bill Clinton while she was having an affair herself, got caught, and said, ‘that’s different’.

Bob Allen (R-FL)- another conservative Republican ‘family values’ Congressman until he was caught solicitiing sex with a male police officer.

And now... Mike Duvall.

[Hapa]

First a big "Thank You!" to KCAl for exposing one of our many dirty politicians.

This is too funny when you think about it. Hers is another example of the bumbling idiots running our Government. No wonder they can't balance the budget, their too busy trying to balance all of their various affairs.

The irony in all of this is that he received a 100% score from Capitol Resource Institute for "time and time again to protect and preserve family values in CA."
But hold on, let's not rush to judgment. Maybe this is true? maybe he grew up in Haight-Ashbury and is used to swinging and that sort of 'family' lifestyle?

hahaha...don't you just love our government!

[Daub]

I love it. Another "family values" republican bites the dust. Keep 'em coming!

[DRE DAWG]

There needs to be a thorough investigation into ALL aspects that have even the slightest connection with Duvall's political career. This is nothing to sweep under the rug...his gross (and I mean gross like ick, the man's married and old) misconduct require his actions as Assemblyman be gone through with the finest toothed comb ever made.

[Jim_J]

" This is a private matter and I ask that everyone respect the privacy of all involved.”
?? No. It is not a private matter if you are sleeping with lobbyists that represent interested parties in front you your committee. It's a public matter that it appears you are taking a bribe.

[Mark]

"I deeply regret the comments I made in what I believed to be a private conversation."

Another in a long list of so called republican "family values" personalities with an entitlement mentality who bloviates against gays and other bogeymen and then carries on in an illicit affair and then has the audacity to apologize only for an open mic. Note that he does not apologize for the hypocrisy, the lies or the ethical and moral corruption, just the open mic. Such duplicity has become a hallmark of the late Republican Party.

[Florian Vargas]

Who is the lobbyist, who employs her and which company retained her employer to lobby the vice-chair of the Assembly Utilities and Congress Committee?

[Jim]

Another hypocritical Republican politician abusing his office and making excuses.

[Guy Lauten]

Duvall sleeps with lobbyists (at least one of whom is lobbying for corporations with business before his committee), yet says in his resignation speech "This is a private matter". Huh?
This man represents Orange County, with it's purported "Family Values". I guess sleeping around with glorified prostitutes for fun and profit is all in line with "Family Values".
More Republican hypocrisy and disconnection with the real world. Good grief.

[David]

"Family
 Values" "Christian Values"

When I hear any politician say those words I Immediately think they are hypocrite - perverts.

Michael Duvall now joins, Gov Mark Sanford, Sen. John Ensign, John Edwards, Sen. Larry Craig ect..

But Duvall used a lobbyist .

[Michael]

The Capitol Resource Institute, a conservative, self-described "pro-family" advocacy organization that had given Duvall a "100%" score for his voting record on issues of concern to the group, denounced the lawmaker in a statement today. .

"It is always disappointing when a champion of traditional values does not practice the same in his private life," said Karen England, executive director of CRI. "And this appears to be the case with Assemblyman Duvall."

Another Republican hypocrite, is there any other kind?

[sinclair]

Good riddance to bad rubbish ... what a hypocrite. The list of repubs caught with their hypocrisy around their ankles is enough to stock a phone book these days. Where to file this guy? Let's see ... Bathroom stalls, no, Underage Children, no, thankfully, Secret Gay Affair, nope, Prostitution, well, no, not technically, maybe a little influence-peddling.

Here we go: Creepy, Pasty Philandering Moron. He should fit in just fine there.

[stacey]

Well Suprise Suprise Another republican family values don't let the gays get hitched gets busted...at least it wasnt his maid