O.C. lawmaker resigns after allegedly caught discussing his trysts with lobbyists [Updated]

Read more in Thursday's Times: Assemblyman Mike Duvall resigns after his sex comments are broadcast

[Updated at 12:50 p.m.: Assemblyman Michael Duvall has resigned, according to his website, where he posted this statement:

“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. 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 what its reporter said was an Orange County GOP lawmaker talking to a colleague at a committee hearing in explicit detail about recent trysts.

In the KCAL report, Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee Vice Chairman Michael Duvall (R-Yorba Linda) 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.

[Updated at 10:13 a.m.: 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 reporting from Sacramento

Credit: Mike Duvall campaign office

Comments

[Ken]

"This is a private matter and I ask that everyone respect the privacy of all involved."

You having sex with lobbyists that you oversee is not a private matter. As for respecting privacy, your anti-gay marriage stance says a lot about how you view other people's privacy.

I am sure you will rot in hell for your hypocrisy.

[Da Maverick]

Spanking...underwear fetish...dirty talk...having not one but TWO extra-marrital going on simultaneously...lobbyist using the most persuasive tool in the playbook to get their way for their industry...

What's that you say about Obama being a socialist? That he takes out his WIFE for dinner? Oh right, now I remember what channel we're on.

-Fox News

[thebob.bob]

It's astounding how these "family values" types can look at themselves in the mirror. It's one thing to cavort with two different women you're not married and even play spanky with them. But when you are publicly expounding on the importance and sanctity of the family and of marriage and the lack of these values in you're political rivals, the gall, the hypocrisy is breathtaking.

Join the ranks of all the other Republicans praying for forgiveness for their sinful selves. Just stop insisting in the purity of your despicable, hate-filled Party!

[Pete]

A "private matter?" Not if your screwing lobbyists...particularly lobbyists with business before your committee.

[jkr]

Power, politics, and lobbyists--all in the name of family values.
This sort of governance is unacceptable. Ethics oversight needs
to oust him from office, not just a reprimand--set an example.

[mufasah]

Confucius say: "Man who make love to girl on hill... he not on level!"

[SV]

Where is the "morals clause" in their employement contract? (LOL) Why don't we make all elected officials commit to not drinking and driving, illegal drug use, sleeping with multiple people they are not married to, molesting children, creating off shore banking account, or refusing to pay taxes? If they void the contact, they waive their pension and life long medical benefits. Its about time we taxpayers start making them tow the line.

[OC]

if he was a democrat it wouldn't even been made public. bc he is a republican, they wanna ring him.

[hal9000]

i have stopped everything to catch the dave lopez reports for well over 10 years. he was there when the company i worked for, "fedco" closed. we were told not to talk to him. today dave lopez looks better then ever. in this report he looked like a "man on fire".

[Gov. Mark Sanford (NC)]

Hey Mike! But was she your soul mate?

[Alan]

this is not a personal matter. the women in question are both lobbyists representing groups that Duvall has influence over as a member of state committees. this is neither a "right" or "left" wing, republican/democrat or any other red herring. it's a matter of undue influence in our governmental body (no pun intended!) and is a threat to the proper governance of our state, and the coopting of our democracy. please investigate and report on the findings.

[Wow]

"This is a private matter and I ask that everyone respect the privacy of all involved.”

No it's not you dirtbag! Not only is it hypocritical its against the law to have such a relationship with a lobbyist and not report it. We all lose by your actions, so no you cannot pull the "private matter" card. Its great for all to see what a cheat you are. Why is it that your privacy when the Republican Party has a records of deciding what rights are afforded to others. By the way Casanova, if you didn't have that committee assignment, she would have walked right past you. She appears to be a prostitute of the highest order and you are merely her "john". Dirtbag, and by dirtbag I mean a similar word that would probably keep this from being posted.

[dee dee]

Another "trusted" politician "busted". The truth will always come out.

Dee Dee

[so messy]

... so messy!

[Kevin Andrews]

A more graphic example of hypocrisy from the politicians (whores) who populate every State House, Washington, DC and the system as it exists now. This creature is known and it is only now that the "ethics" are questioned because of the publicity. That's a statement of Amerika as it exists post Bush if ever one appeared.
Get with the program America; demand accountability, demand balanced budgets and restore America to a position of leadership on a global basis by cleaning house.
Stop the Wars in the Middle East, Stop the Wars at home and provided funding to Universal Health Care and restoration of the opportunities of America for all people.

[Eve]

Another Republican hypocrite; they sure like to point the finger at the Democrats but at least the Demos don't scream "family values" as the GOP and Fox News does. The Republicans have had a record year for sex outside of marriage. How will Fox News handle this scandal? We've all known Repubs like to get in bed with lobbyists. Health insurance companies, pharmaceuticals, utility companies - you name it- have done well with the GOP. She wanted his chile and he wanted her tomatoes so they could make guacamole together.

[the watchdog]

oh my...i am so surprised. a lobbyist is having sex with a married public official who has oversight of the business she is lobbying for. this is unheard of in our society...RIGHT! Well I for one am "shocked...shocked...to find gambling going on here"...isn't that the line from casablanca when captain reneau gets his gambling winnings...well i am just shocked by this behavior of our "trusted" public servants...just how much is this clown making a year...and what is his public pension like...OVERPAID STOOGE...but we are all the fools for letting these guys fleece us year in and year out....my advice....THROW THE RASCALS OUT!!!

[Arash Yarpezeshkan]

Wow. Another hpyocrite family values republican is exposed by himself! I love it. When will these people stop with their moralizing and lecturing others about christian famnily values? Mr.Duvall should resign from this office immeiditaely or be brought up on ethics charges. Having an affair with two lobbyists who do business before your committee is wrong and illegal.

[elleneyegreen]

I'd like to know what happened to my post, which would've been the first one. I guess since lobbyists are now officially exposed,engaging in prostitution, The L.A. Times didn't like my comment...Bribery and prostitution=lobbyists. Lobbying should be criminalized, it is after all, political pandering that behooves only private interests while all public interests are stomped on and spat upon. All offending elected officials should be replaced - immediately. I wonder if this post will make it...

[Tony H]

Please don't misrepresent conservative opposition to the President's stay-in-school speech. The main objection was the abandoned lesson plan and the Dept of Education's promotion of the curricula in violation of its charter. Clearly the Administration realized they have overreached or they wouldn't have suddenly pulled back from the abyss. The amazing thing is that liberals found this acceptable, particularly when Bush I's 1991 education speech led to not one but two separate congressional hearings. And Bush I published his speech in advance, didn't propose a lesson plan, didn't use the DOE to promote the curricula and didn't have a history of hijacking the educational apparatus (Annenberg Challenge) to implement radical change. Some of you would reflexively eat Ostrich dung were the President ot advocate for its merits.

[B. Anthony]

So, just in case you were losing track of the GOP hypocrisy 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.

[RAW]

Member of the Orange County Sanitation District board? Yupp, straight from the gutter.
I'm amazed that this guy doesn't get the irony of his labeling the trysts 'conquests'. These women are paid lobbyists, so if they sleep with this politician, they do it for money. Sure, HE doesn't pay them for their sexual favors. The taxpayers do when they get the bill from the utility that hired these hookers. Disgusting.

[George]

Appropriately a member of The Orange County Sanitation District. Duvall was only elected to the Yorba Linda City Council and the Assembly because of his wife's parents money. Let's see how long THAT lasts!

[Brad Bergman]

"I made a mistake and I sincerely apologize."

WTF? Is he serious? He was bragging about it while being paid by the taxpayers of this state to do his job. My advice to him: Do the right thing and resign, give your wife the house and all you own, and just go crawl into a hole for the remainder of your life.

I'm so sick of these sycophantic, hypocritical politicians who brag about supporting family values to the public, but then behind our backs brag about screwing around.

[Errol Miller]

The video clip from Channel 9 fuzzed out the guy DuVall was talking to. Why are they protecting a public official who learned of this activity and remained quiet? Isn't he part of the same problem?