Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill could lose his law license — and his elected position — after a little-known state body revived allegations that Hill inappropriately touched four women at an Indianapolis bar last year.

The Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission filed a complaint against Hill Tuesday that says he engaged in acts of battery or sexual battery against the women. In doing so, the commission says, Hill broke the the Indiana Rules of Professional Conduct.

The accusations are administrative in nature and are not considered criminal charges. Hill, who has denied wrongdoing, will have the opportunity to defend himself and ultimately the Indiana Supreme Court would decide Hill's fate. Discipline, if any, could range from public reprimand to disbarment.

Disbarment would amount to a worst-case scenario for Hill because Indiana code requires the attorney general to hold a law license.

The complaint ignites a new battle for Hill, who has defied calls from fellow Republicans to resign and has blasted the allegations as "vicious and false." Neither a state ethics probe nor a criminal investigation led to formal charges against Hill, but he could face a potential lawsuit.

Don Lundberg, an attorney representing Hill, defended his client, arguing he has already been investigated multiple times.

"After having reviewed all the information, all three reached the same conclusion: no further action was warranted," Lundberg said. "The Attorney General remains focused on serving the people of Indiana. This matter will be addressed through the proper process outlined for disciplinary complaints in the State of Indiana and we are confident it will conclude in a manner consistent with the results of the prior investigations.”

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A 'pattern of misconduct'

The disciplinary commission’s complaint supports the accounts of the four women, who made their allegations public last year after IndyStar published details from a confidential legislative report about Hill’s alleged actions at AJ’s Lounge on March 14, 2018.

"(Hill) engaged in a pattern of misconduct," the commission said in its filing. "As the elected Attorney General, (Hill) holds a position of extreme public trust and his office touches on virtually all areas of state government. As a government lawyer, (Hill) has a heightened duty of ethical conduct that is long established in Indiana ethics law."

The complaint says Hill told a group of women at the bar to “show some skin” to get drinks. He rubbed one legislative staffer’s back, prompting her to mouth “help” to a friend, and wrapped his arms around the waist of another, the complaint says.

Hill also touched or grabbed the buttocks of Democratic Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon, according to the complaint. She told him to “back off” but he later touched her bare back while saying, “that skin” and “that back” or some similar phrase, the complaint says.

In the case of a third legislative staffer — Republican Senate staffer Niki DaSilva — the complaint says Hill moved his hand down her back and, when she tried to brush it away, “grabbed DaSilva’s wrist and forcibly moved DaSilva’s hand toward her buttocks, by which conduct (Hill) touched DaSilva’s buttocks with his hand and pressed or held it against her."

In all, according to the disciplinary commission, Hill committed four acts of misdemeanor battery and, in DaSilva’s case, either an act of misdemeanor battery or sexual battery, a level 6 felony.

The four women — including Democrat legislative staffers Gabrielle McLemore and Samantha Lozano — released a joint statement following the commission's announcement Tuesday.

"The filing today was not in response to any action we took, as we did not file a grievance with the Indiana Disciplinary Commission," the statement said. "However, we are pleased to see that the sexual harassment and battery we faced from Curtis Hill is being taken seriously and that his ethics as the state’s highest legal officer are being reviewed."

IndyStar does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual misconduct but the four women have all spoken publicly.

Complaint says Hill changed his story

The complaint also includes a list of “aggravating factors” that include, the commission said, Hill's shifting account of what happened.

“When first confronted by legislative leaders about the conduct at the sine die event, the respondent repeatedly admitted he had had too much to drink or words to that effect. Thereafter, (Hill) changed his story and claimed he was not inebriated,” the complaint says.

Hill also held a news conference where he “implied the victims falsified their accounts,” but later he “portrayed the victims as mistaken or misperceiving his conduct,” the complaint says.

The complaint also notes the young ages of the legislative staffers.

“Three of the four victims were women in their early 20's, had just begun their careers in government, and were subject to sexual misconduct by a powerful state elected official,” the complaint says. “(Hill) acted with selfish motives to arouse his sexual desires.”

Hill’s alleged actions “reflect poorly on the legal profession and does incalculable harm to the public perception of the Attorney General’s office,” the complaint says.

How could Hill lose his elected office?

While the Indiana Supreme Court could take any number of actions, none would be as consequential as stripping Hill of his law license.

If Hill is removed from office, Gov. Eric Holcomb — who often clashes with Hill on public policy and has called for his resignation — would be tasked with appointing a new attorney general. The only requirement laid out in code is that the new officer must be from the same party as the attorney general removed from office.

It's unclear what would happen in the case of a temporary suspension of his law license, said Joel Schumm, an Indiana University law professor who studies state constitutional law.

What is the disciplinary commission?

The nine-member disciplinary commission, whose members are appointed by the Indiana Supreme Court, investigates and prosecute allegations of attorney misconduct. The commission has asked the Indiana Supreme Court to appoint a panel to oversee the case.

If that panel is approved, those members would eventually make a recommendation to the five justices of the Indiana Supreme Court. The justices will ultimately determine whether Hill violated the rules and what punishment, if any, would be appropriate.

Hill will have an opportunity to defend himself. He first has 30 days to respond to Tuesday's filing.

The process typically takes several months. Both sides also could reach a settlement for the court's consideration.

A rising political star

The accusations Tuesday could rock Indiana's political landscape, where leaders of the Republican-controlled legislature have called for Hill's resignation but have resisted calls to impeach Hill. It's unclear whether the commission's filing Tuesday will change that calculus.

Hill, a first-term Republican and former Elkhart County prosecutor, is a rising star in conservative politics, using his platform as the state's attorney general to sound off on national issues ranging from sexual abuse by priests to NFL players kneeling during the National Anthem.

He routinely visits the White House and on Monday he appeared on Fox News Radio's Todd Starnes Show to defend President Donald Trump's emergency order to fund a wall at the country's southern border.

Hill's popularity among socially conservative voters has so far insulated him from talk of impeachment among Republicans.

In February, several Indiana Democrats filed a resolution to start an impeachment investigation into Hill, but House Speaker Brian Bosma said he didn’t intend to pursue what he sees as an extraordinary and unprecedented step.

Holcomb also has stopped short of seeking Hill's impeachment. When asked for his reaction to the disciplinary commission complaint Tuesday, Holcomb said: “I’m where I was the first time I read the first investigation and this is the fourth entity that’s put out a position. My position hasn’t changed one iota.”

That has left the party's 2020 nominating convention as the next likely referendum on Hill among Republicans.

The complaint Tuesday, though, could change that political calculus.

When asked how the complaint might factor into any decision regarding impeachment. Senate leader Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, said: “This issue is in the hands of the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission, and I will await the outcome of their process before commenting further.”

Contact IndyStar reporter Tony Cook at 317-444-6081 or tony.cook@indystar.com. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter: @IndyStarTony

Contact IndyStar reporter Ryan Martin at 317-444-6294 or ryan.martin@indystar.com. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter: @ryanmartin

Contact IndyStar reporter Kaitlin Lange at 317-432-9270. Follow her on Twitter: @kaitlin_lange