Michael D. Duvall
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Michael D. Duvall | |
|---|---|
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 72nd district | |
| In office 2006 – September 9, 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Lynn Daucher |
| Member of the Yorba Linda, California City Council | |
| In office 2000–2006 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 14, 1955 |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Susan Duvall |
| Children | Two |
| Residence | Yorba Linda, California |
| Profession | Insurance |
Michael D. Duvall (born June 14 1955) is a Republican politician and a former member of the California State Assembly. On September 9, 2009, Duvall abruptly resigned his office in the wake of a scandal involving an extramarital affair with a lobbyist.[1][2][3]
Duvall was first elected as the assemblyman for California's 72nd District in 2006, and was re-elected in 2008. During his time in the Assembly, he served as the vice chairman of the Utilities & Commerce Committee. Prior to his service in the Assembly, he served on the Yorba Linda City Council from 2000-2006, and owned a local insurance agency.
Duvall served on the Orange County Transportation Authority, on the Foothill/Eastern Corridor Joint Powers Authority, on the Orange County Sanitation District, as a Director of the Ground Water Replenishment System, and as a Member of the Santa Ana River Flood Protection Agency. Prior to being elected to the City Council, Duvall served as President of the Yorba Linda Chamber of Commerce, as chairman of the Yorba Linda General Plan Steering Committee, and as co-chair of "Safe Streets Are for Everyone." Chapman University awarded Duvall the Ethics in America Award in 2000 for his "demonstration of the highest standards of ethical integrity" while a member of the Chamber team.
In July 2009, Duvall was caught on tape bragging to a fellow committee member about his extramarital affairs with two women, one of them a lobbyist.[4][3] Local television station KCAL-TV aired the tape on September 8, 2009. Duvall resigned the next day.[5]
Personal life
Duvall lives in Yorba Linda with his wife Susan Duvall and their two children.[3] While in the assembly, Duvall would spend most weekdays in Sacramento, and fly back to southern California on weekends.[6]
Extramarital affairs and resignation
During a lull in a July 8, 2009 committee meeting, Duvall had a conversation with an unknown fellow Republican committee member,[6] describing two different affairs he was currently engaged in with two sexy women, one of them being a lobbyist.[4] Duvall's microphone was "live", and their whispered conversation was recorded. "She wears little eye-patch underwear," said Duvall, "so, the other day she came here with her underwear, Thursday. And so, we had made love Wednesday--a lot!"[4]
He continued "So, I am getting into spanking her. Yeah, I like it. I like spanking her. She goes, 'I know you like spanking me.' I said, 'Yeah! Because you're such a bad girl!'" As Mr. Duval's story continued, he revealed more information that could lead to the identity of the woman, but has yet not been confirmed. "And so her birthday was Monday," "I was 54 on June 14, so for a month, she was 19 years younger than me. I said, 'Now, you're getting old. I am going to have to trade you in.' And she goes, '[I'm] 36.' She is 18 years younger than me. And so I keep teasing her, and she goes, 'I know you French men. You divide your age by two and add seven, and if you're older than that, you dump us.'" [6]
The story was first reported on September 8, 2009 by KCAL news,[4] which aired footage of the conversation.[7] The OC Weekly reported that one of the women Duvall was involved with is Heidi DeJong Barsuglia, a veteran Sacramento lobbyist who turned 36 on July 6.[6] The Wall Street Journal noted that affair raises ethical questions, as Barsuglia is a lobbyist for Sempra Energy and Duvall is a member of the state's Utility and Commerce committee.[8] The identity of the second woman has yet to be revealed.
Immediately afterwards, Duvall refused to speak to reporters and went into seclusion somewhere in Sacramento, failing to appear at a scheduled dinner with other lawmakers.[4] The following day, Duvall's official website posted a banner, stating: "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."[7]
The day after the affairs were revealed, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass removed Duvall from his two committees and asked an ethics panel to investigate his actions.[8] Assembly Republican leader Sam Blakeslee stated that he is "terribly disappointed with the situation,"[8] and asked Duvall to step down from as a member of the Republican caucus leadership.[9]
Duvall's official website posted a message announcing his resignation at approximately 1pm PDT on September 9.[1][2] The statement read: "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."[2]
References
- ^ a b Campaign Website resignation message
- ^ a b c USA Today article: "Calif. lawmaker resigns after mike picks up his talk of sexual exploits".
- ^ a b c Associated Press article: "Calif. GOP lawmaker quits over taped sex comments".
- ^ a b c d e Political Wire article: "California Lawmaker Caught on Tape".
- ^ Calif. GOP lawmaker quits over taped sex comments
- ^ a b c d OC Weekly article: "OC Assemblyman In Bed With Lobbyist . . . No, Literally In Bed".
- ^ a b LA Times article: "O.C. lawmaker allegedly caught discussing his trysts with lobbyists".
- ^ a b c The Wall Street Journal article: "Open Mic Gives California Assembly a Lot to Talk About".
- ^ Associated Press article: "Calif. GOP lawmaker caught bragging about affairs".
External links
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