House Minority Leader Chad Campbell calls for the resignation of Rep. Daniel Patterson

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

When your leadership tells you it is time to go, it is time to go. Statement from House Minority Leader Chad Campbell:

STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – Rep. Chad Campbell Arizona House Minority Leader released the following statement today requesting that Rep. Daniel Patterson resign.

“As elected officials we have a duty to serve the citizens of this state and should be held to a higher standard. Rep. Patterson needs to have the same rights and be held to the same legal standards as every other citizen of our state. We need to let the legal system run its course on those matters. Regardless, at this point, Mr. Patterson's issues are interfering with the business of the state. They have been an ongoing distraction from doing the important work of the people. Therefore, for those reasons, I have asked Rep. Patterson to submit his resignation."

UPDATE: 17 Democratic lawmakers filed an ethics complaint against Rep. Daniel Patterson on Monday. Ariz. lawmakers' complaint names fellow Democrat:

Nearly all of the Arizona House's Democratic members filed an ethics complaint against one of their colleagues Monday after he denied wrongdoing and rejected calls from his party's leadership for his resignation from the Legislature amid a domestic dispute.

The complaint filed against Tucson Democratic Rep. Daniel Patterson said he engaged in a "pattern of conduct that may be considered domestic violence."

The complaint, filed by 17 Democratic lawmakers, accused Patterson of conduct impugning the integrity of the House, citing an order of protection obtained Friday by Patterson's girlfriend and a previous order of protection obtained by Patterson's ex-wife.

In earlier calling for Patterson to resign, House and Senate minority leaders and the Arizona Democratic Party's executive director said Patterson's personal life is a distraction from his work at the Capitol.

Other than Patterson, the only House Democrats to not sign the complaint against him were two lawmakers who sit on the House Ethics Committee. That panel would consider the complaint.