Update: Sussex GOP Files Ethics Complaint With House Democratic Leadership; Staff Responds

Story update: A member of the House Majority Caucus legal staff responded to what was characterized as an ethics complaint filed by the Sussex County Republican Committee. The response refers to House ethics rules which state that an ethics complaint may only be filed by a member of the House of Representatives. GOP Chair Marilyn Booker stated on WGMD that the GOP would attempt to persuade a member of the Minority Caucus to pursue an ethics complaint.

Original story:

Two weeks after a House committee released two gun-related bills, an ethics complaint has been filed with House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach by the Sussex County Republican Committee.

Sussex County Republican Committee Chair Marilyn Booker told WGMD News Wednesday that there are several points raised in the complaint, which is centered around the actions of House Majority Leader Valerie Longhurst, D-Bear:

The ethics complaint centers on the fact that Longhurst was not only the Prime Sponsor of House Bill 450 but also the Chair of the committee hearing the bill. It also focuses on the fact that Longhurst arbitrarily and capriciously limited public comment to a mere one (1) minute per person and limited overall comment to less than 90 minutes per bill. When House Minority Leader Danny Short (R- Seaford) attempted to get Longhurst to extend the times to allow for a full and complete airing of the issues, Longhurst cut him off and ignored his plea for more time.

The complaint also refers to an amendment filed with House Bill 450 by Longhurst that dramatically and fundamentally changed the tone, tenor, concept and legal impact of House Bill 450.

Although the Delaware House of Representatives is under the total control of the
Democrats, we hope that Speaker Schwartkopf and the other Democratic Leadership in the
House will take Representative Longhurst to task and adopt procedures which will prevent such
unethical and inappropriate conduct in the future, the Sussex County Republican Committee said in filing its complaint.