AUSTIN, Texas — The Latest on allegations that a Texas state senator sent inappropriate text messages to a university graduate student: (all times local):
6:15 p.m.
A Texas state senator accused of sending sexually explicit text messages to a graduate student says he doesn’t “condone sexual misconduct of any kind” following an investigation launched by the University of Texas.
A report released Tuesday by the university said Republican state Sen. Charles Schwertner didn’t fully co-operate with investigators and blamed the messages on someone the lawmaker has refused to identify. The investigation concluded that Schwertner didn’t violate university policies based on “available evidence.”
Schwertner said the university closed the investigation because he didn’t “send the offensive text messages in question.” But the report says Schwertner prevented investigators from reaching a definitive conclusion and raised the possibility that an unknown person who claimed responsibility for the messages is “being untruthful or does not exist.”
Schwertner was re-elected in November.
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5 p.m.
A former U.S. prosecutor hired by the University of Texas says a state senator accused of sending sexually explicit text messages to a graduate student blamed them on someone else and didn’t fully co-operate with investigators.
The report released Tuesday concluded that Republican state Sen. Charles Schwertner didn’t violate university policies based on “available evidence.”
The report was signed by former U.S. attorney Johnny Sutton. The university hired him after a student this fall accused Schwertner of sending inappropriate text messages that included a nude photo with the face cropped out.
The report says Schwertner’s lawyers claimed another person sent the messages but wouldn’t identify who. Investigators say the messages were sent using an app called Hushed.
Attorneys for Schwertner didn’t immediately return messages Tuesday. Schwertner was re-elected in November.
The Associated Press
