DELAWARE - The Delaware House Ethics Committee has closed its investigation into state Rep. Josue Ortega and will take no further action, said House Democratic leadership.
House Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown, Majority Leader Kerri Evelyn Harris and Majority Whip Ed Osienski said Wednesday that the committee had opened a preliminary investigation into allegations that Ortega may have violated the Legislative Code of Conduct.
“In light of the results of the September 15 primary election, the Ethics Committee unanimously voted today to close the investigation and take no further action,” House leadership said. “Neither the related criminal matter nor subsequent proceedings of the Ethics Committee can be resolved before Representative Ortega’s term of office expires.”
Ortega, a Democrat who represents House District 3 in Wilmington, has been the subject of a Delaware State Police investigation stemming from an alleged domestic incident in May. The Delaware Department of Justice later charged Ortega with misdemeanor offensive touching. Ortega turned himself in to state police Aug. 6.
According to a police report previously obtained by CoastTV News, the alleged incident happened May 21 on Maryland Avenue. The report alleges Ortega punched a woman on the left side of her face. The victim also answered “Yes” to several questions on a domestic violence lethality screening, including whether Ortega had threatened to kill her or her children and whether he had ever tried to choke her.
Ortega has denied the allegations.
“I maintain my innocence and firmly refute the claims made against me,” Ortega said.
House Democratic leaders announced the ethics review after the allegations became public, saying an ethics complaint would trigger a review by the House Ethics Committee.
The committee’s decision Wednesday ends that legislative investigation without a finding on the underlying allegations.
