Michelle Ugenti-Rita was a Republican state senator in Arizona and a state representative before that. She was accused of sexual harassment by a female lobbyist who claimed that Ugenti-Rita and her husband were soliciting her for a threesome. Ugenti-Rita’s husband sent explicit photos to the lobbyist asking for a threesome, but she also claimed Ugenti-Rita invited her to her hotel room and asked her to stay the night. Ugenti-Rita acknowledged she took the photos, but claimed not to know her husband sent them to the lobbyist.
There was an investigation. The investigators investigated Ugenti-Rita and Don Shooter. Ironically, many of the allegations about Shooter were made by Ugenti-Rita and much of the investigation focuses on her allegations. I think hiring the same team to investigate her at the same time was a mistake as in the process of giving credence to her allegations, they give her credibility in the other investigation. Of the 82-page report this is what addressed the Ugenti-Rita investigation. They did not even list the allegations or statements from the lobbyist. Short shrift is what I would call this.
- KGUN: Lobbyist says she felt harassed by Arizona lawmaker
- AZ Central: Lobbyist recounts receiving explicit photos of Arizona lawmaker and her future husband
Arizona Republic
Phoenix, Arizona · Friday, February 07, 2020
