In South Dakota, lawmaker dealings with interns scrutinized

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — A South Dakota House member's admission this week that he had sexual contact with two interns has raised questions — and conflicting accounts — about the ways legislators and interns interact in this tiny government town.

A former state representative said she often saw lawmakers giving unwanted attention to interns and pages, and a "what happens in Pierre stays in Pierre" mindset in the state capital, which is home to only about 14,000 people.

In 2007, the state Senate censured Democrat Dan Sutton after he was accused of fondling an 18-year-old page when they shared a motel room during the 2006 legislative session.

Legislative rules also don't explicitly ban sexual contact or relationships between lawmakers and interns, although they do prohibit sexual harassment and call on lawmakers to maintain "the highest of moral and ethical standards."

Wollmann's public admission came shortly after a legislative committee voted down a new rule — proposed by a lawmaker who had raised questions privately about Wollmann's conduct — to explicitly bar legislators from sexual contact with interns and pages.

Former Democratic state Rep. Peggy Gibson, who served eight years before retiring last year, said she noticed unwanted attention from lawmakers toward interns and pages, such as too much touching in the hallways or sexual references and jokes.