Nebraska state senator to resign amid accusations from aide
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska state Sen. Mike Groene denied accusations Friday that he took inappropriate photos of a female legislative aide without her knowledge, but he said he was going to resign next week to avoid putting his family through a public ordeal.
Groene, conservative Republican who speaks bluntly and often clashes with his Democratic colleagues, said he was preparing a resignation letter. Groene, 66, was scheduled to leave the Legislature next year due to term limits. He recently said he planned to run for the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, but he said Friday that he would withdraw from that race as well and retire.
“I’m done. I really don’t care,” Groene told The Associated Press. “I don’t care about politics anymore. I’ve got bigger fish to fry.”
His comments came after an online news outlet, Nebraska Sunrise News, reported that a longtime legislative aide had filed a complaint accusing Groene of taking inappropriate photos of her without her knowledge. The article said she discovered the photos on Groene’s laptop, which he had given her to complete work-related projects.