Name: Indiana attorney general suspended due to groping accusations
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Indiana attorney general suspended due to groping accusations

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(CNN)Indiana's attorney general will be suspended from his position for 30 days by the state's Supreme Court after a state hearing officer found he violated two state judiciary rules on conduct stemming from accusations that he , all of whom were state legislature employees at the time.Democratic state Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon, Indiana House Democrat staffer Samantha Lozano, former Indiana Senate Republican staffer Niki DaSilva and former Indiana Senate Democrats communications director Gabrielle McLemore alleged that Indiana Attorney General Curtis T. Hill Jr. groped them at a lounge in March 2018.Hill, a Republican, has amid calls to resign after the leak of a confidential June 2018 memo outlining allegations, made by several women who were in attendance at the lounge, of groping and inappropriate comments made by the attorney general.In a 19-page ruling on Monday, the court stated that Hill "committed acts of misdemeanor battery, conduct that under the circumstances of this case violated Indiana Professional Conduct Rules.""Respondent engaged in acts against four women -- a state representative and three legislative assistants -- that involved various forms of nonconsensual and inappropriate touching," the court wrote. "For Respondent's professional misconduct, the Court suspends Respondent from the practice of law in this state for a period of 30 days, beginning May 18, 2020."Read MoreThe ruling comes after two previous assessments of his behavior have yielded no actions against Hill. In March, a federal judge dismissed claims against Hill, asserting that "the highly offensive nature of the alleged acts does not meet the legal standard necessary to establish a violation of any federal law or the Constitution of the United States." A state special prosecutor tasked with investigating the sexual misconduct allegations against Hill said in October 2018 that the women who -- but no charges will be filed against him.Hill wrote Monday on Twitter that he accepted his suspension, noting that his authority would automatically resume in June."I accept with humility and respect the Indiana Supreme Court's ruling of a 30-day suspension of my license with automatic reinstatement," Hill .Hill that he has directed the state's chief deputy attorney general to take over the office's legal work starting on Monday "during the temporary suspension of my license until it is reinstated on Wednesday, June 17.""I offer my deepest gratitude to my family, friends and the entire staff of the Office of the Attorney General," Hill . "My staff has worked tirelessly and without interruption and will continue to do so on behalf of all Hoosiers."The women's attorneys -- Hannah Joseph, BJ Brinkerhoff and Kim Jeselskis -- told CNN in a statement that they were "pleased" with the court's decision, adding that it establishes "without question, our clients' credibility, and the legal significance of their accounts.""Two years later, Representative Candelaria Reardon, Ms. DaSilva, Ms. McLemore Brock, and Ms. Lozano continue to deal with the effects of going public with their stories, but remain steadfast in their commitment to help Hoosiers feel safe in the workplace," they added.CNN's Kate Sullivan, Carma Hassan and Eric Levenson contributed to this report.

(CNN)Indiana's attorney general will be suspended from his position for 30 days by the state's Supreme Court after a state hearing officer found he violated two state judiciary rules on conduct stemming from accusations that he , all of whom were state legislature employees at the time.Democratic state Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon, Indiana House Democrat staffer Samantha Lozano, former Indiana Senate Republican staffer Niki DaSilva and former Indiana Senate Democrats communications director Gabrielle McLemore alleged that Indiana Attorney General Curtis T. Hill Jr. groped them at a lounge...

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Indiana attorney general suspended due to groping accusations

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