Ultra conservative Representative Bryan Slaton is facing calls for resignation and possible expulsion from his peers in the GOP controlled Texas State House. He is the Texas version of Florida’s Randy Fine.
State Rep. married Youth Minister to be expelled for sexual relationship with underaged intern
An investigation says that Slaton, who is a married father, and longtime youth minister is accused of inviting underaged interns to his condo in Austin for late night drinks.
Two of the women tried to convince a 19 year old intern to not accept Slaton’s invitation to come over and suggested that his behavior was inappropriate. But the intern, who one complainant described as “naive,” was not convinced and so agreed to Slaton’s request to visit his apartment on the night of March 31. The other women went with her, according to the report, and the lawmaker served them rum and cokes.
One of the young women drank enough to vomit; the intern was “really dizzy” and had “split vision” according to the report. The other women eventually left the home but the intern reportedly stayed. She told her friends that Slaton drove her home the next morning, stopping at a drugstore so she could obtain emergency contraception on the way, according to the report.
He later showed the intern a threatening email but said everything would be fine if the incident was kept quiet. Slaton also asked a fellow lawmaker to keep his behavior secret, the investigative committee said.
“Slaton’s misconduct is grave and serious,” the committee members wrote in a report, and that he furnished alcohol to a minor, violated employment laws, abused his position of power and engaged in harassment.”
Slaton often warn of “perverted adults” out to prey on Texas youth. He is infamous for his anti-LGBTQ+ stance, his “pro-family” conservative values and his controversial thoughts on state secession.
Slaton’s legislative biography describes him as, “a proud East Texan with values and principles that represent the great people of East Texas” that were formed by his participation in church and family gatherings. It also sites his degrees from a Baptist seminary school and his work serving as a youth minister.
After video from a Dallas drag show went viral last year, Slaton proposed banning such events in the presence of minors to “protect” kids from drag queens. He has also tweeted support for laws against gender-affirming care.
State Rep. Steve Toth of The Woodlands called on his colleague to resign in a Tuesday morning tweet. He added that classifying Slaton’s behavior as “inappropriate” would be a “gross understatement.
“What’s most troubling about the events of this story is that his behavior appears to be predatory,” Toth continued. “Unfortunately, his handlers have closed their eyes to the signs of his dysfunctional behavior because he was willing to do their bidding.”
Another fiercely conservative lawmaker, Deer Park state Rep. Briscoe Cain, fueled rumors of Slaton’s alleged extramarital misconduct in a tweet last week.
“I am absolutely furious at a republican whom I believe to be a sexual predator,” Cain wrote in part. “I’ve never been so ticked off at another legislator. 🤬 He should resign now.”
Other political observers are also demanding that Slaton relinquish his House seat. On Monday evening, the Mothers Against Greg Abbott PAC railed against the representative in a Twitter thread.
“The TX GOP sells itself as the party of family values and they have targeted LGBTQ+ as groomers, and perverts etc.. when all this time the snake was in their mist [sic], like it always is,” MAGA tweeted. “Y’all need to clean house and repent. Slaton needs to resign. And y’all need to STFU already.”
Reporting from Simone Carter and the Associated Press.
