A spokesman for the Oregon Republican Party on Monday said Sen. Jeff Kruse should remain in office while an independent investigator looks into multiple accusations of unwanted touching by the senator. If the claims are substantiated "then perhaps there might be a reason to call for his resignation," said party spokesman Kevin Hoar.

That contrasts with the stance of some prominent Democratic and Republican state politicians who have called for Kruse to resign.

Two Democratic state senators -- Sara Gelser of Corvallis and Elizabeth Steiner-Hayward of Portland -- have accused Kruse of harassment ranging from uncomfortably long and tight hugs to full-fledged groping. Their official complaints have triggered the Legislature's process for handling sexual harassment reports, which includes an investigation and public hearing by the Senate Conduct Committee to assess the findings.

Since then, a flood of high profile state politicians called on Kruse to resign. They include many Democratic officials and several Republicans: Gubernatorial candidate and state Rep. Knute Buehler of Bend, Rep. Julie Parrish of West Linn and Rep. Bill Post of Keizer. Secretary of State Dennis Richardson, Oregon's top elected Republican, said Kruse should resign if the accusations are true.

Gelser has called for the Senate to expel Kruse. Such a vote requires a two-thirds majority, and Senate Democrats are three votes shy of that margin.

Kruse has denied crossing boundaries, said he will not resign and called the allegations against him politically motivated. Echoing that, Hoar said there is "a lot of reason to smell politics" concerning the allegations, but did not say why. Kruse, a lawmaker since 1996, is not up for re-election until 2020.

The Oregon Republican Party is "totally sympathetic to women" subjected to sexual misconduct, Hoar said, and only seeks an impartial investigation of the allegations against Kruse.

Hoar questioned whether that will happen in this case, saying Democrats control the investigation. In fact, the Senate Conduct Committee is comprised of an equal number of Democrats and Republicans, though Sen. Mark Hass, a Democrat, is the chairman.

-- Gordon R. Friedman

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