Pressure Mounts on LeVota July 23, 2015

The political pressure is mounting on Missouri State Senator Paul LeVota of Independence.

A second intern, identified by the Kansas City Star as Taylor Hirth, says LeVota made advances toward her when she worked for him in 2010. That is five years before the first charge that emerged on Wednesday. A 2015 intern says Levota made advances toward her, too.

LeVota denies it.

Senator Majority Leader Tom Dempsey, citing the “new information”, kicked LeVota off the influential Senate Rules Committee and then announced the panel would investigate the allegations against the Independence Democrat.
“The Missouri Senate takes very seriously matters involving the public trust,” Dempsey said in a statement.

Moments later Democratic Governor Jay Nixon suggested ina statement his fellow Democrat resign.
In a statement Nixon called the charges against LeVota are “deeply troubling and raise serious questions about his ability to continue to serve his constituents”.

LeVota could not be reached by phone Thursday.

His brother Phil, a close advisor, says the Senator plans to cooperate fully with the investigation.

In an interview with KMBC TV on Wednesday after the first report came out LeVota said, “I’m not going to let false allegations prevent me from representing my district.”