JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Following the fallout after it was revealed he’d exchanged sexually charged text messages with a capitol intern, Rep. John Diehl announced today he is resigning his position as Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives.
“I appreciate those who have stood beside me and the overwhelming number of caucus members that have offered continued support; but for the good of my party, the caucus, and this state, I’m not going to further jeopardize what we have accomplished this year and what can be accomplished in the future,” Diehl said in his statement.
Diehl spent much of yesterday bunkered in his office and meeting with small groups of his fellow House Republicans in an effort to corral support and avoid a vote to remove him from his leadership post. Just hours after the story initially broke in the Kansas City Star, Democrat Rep. Gina Mitten began circulating a petition to remove Diehl from office, a petition that needs only 82 signatures to be valid.
In small meetings with reporters, Diehl said he still had the support of the caucus, but that he needed to resign in order to not serve “as a distraction” to the work his party continued to do.
“As a leader, I should have known better,” Diehl said, adding that he intended to “deal with this like an adult.”
Diehl’s replacement is expected to be named within the next 24 hours. Under the rules, House Speaker Pro Tem Denny Hoskins automatically assumes the duty of an interim speaker when the position is vacated. But it only takes a simple majority of votes, 82, to elect a new Speaker, which House Republicans are expected to do before they adjourn Friday.
Reactions:
“As the father of two daughters, and a Missourian, I was deeply troubled by the information that came to light yesterday,” said Roy Temple, Chairman of the Missouri Democratic Party. “Speaker Diehl’s actions and misconduct have failed this state and the citizens of Missouri deserve a higher standard of leadership.”
“Missourians deserve elected officials who reflect their values and comport themselves to the highest standards of integrity,” said Gov. Jay Nixon. “Rep. John Diehl’s resignation from the position of speaker and state representative is an appropriate and necessary step. Our thoughts go out to the families who have been affected by the speaker’s conduct. I look forward to working with the next speaker to restore the public trust and continue building a brighter future for our state.”
“Speaker Diehl was an effective leader with significant accomplishments for our state,” said Sen. Roy Blunt. “He made a mistake, and has apologized. He made the right decision today. I wish John the best as he and his family work through this.”
“We commend John Diehl for doing the right thing during this troubling time, and we look forward to working with the next Speaker to continue building upon our conservative legislative accomplishments and moving our state forward,” said Jonathon Prouty, Executive Director of the Missouri Republican Party.
Rachael Herndon contributed to this story.
Collin Reischman was the Managing Editor for The Missouri Times, and a graduate of Webster University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.
