Ex-Tennessee Representative Accused Of Harassment Arrested For DUI Among Other Charges

Former Tennessee Rep. Jeremy Durham was arrested Saturday night in downtown Nashville, and charged with driving under the influence (DUI) among other charges.

Durham was expelled from the House of Representatives in 2016 after allegations emerged about his alleged sexual misconduct involving more than 20 women.

Durham, who became the first representative in Tennessee history to be ousted from the legislature, was charged with drug paraphernalia – unlawful use, resisting stop, frisk, halt, arrest, or search and DUI after his arrest, according to booking information from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) published Sunday.

MNPD officers responded to a traffic accident at around 11:15 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of First Avenue North and Broadway, local media outlet WSMV reported. Durham reportedly showed signs of impairment, including slurred speech, according to the arrest affidavit, the outlet reported.

Durham reportedly resisted arrest when an officer attempted to place handcuffs on him. The police further revealed the officers found a green metal grinder with marijuana residue when they conducted a search on Durham, WSMV reported.

When asked to complete a field sobriety test, the 38-year-old former Republican representative from Franklin reportedly refused and repeatedly said "lawyer."

Officials have since requested an arrest warrant that will allow them to obtain two vials of Durham's blood for evidence related to drunk driving, local WKRN-TV reported.

Booking records showed the former lawmaker has been released on bond early Sunday, WKRN-TV reported.

On September 2016, Durham, then 32, was expelled from the House on a 70-2 vote after more than an hour of deliberations, marking only the second time since the Civil War that a representative expulsion took place in the legislature, The Tennessean reported.

Earlier in 2016, a Tennessean investigation found alleged inappropriate text messages sent by Durham to three women working at the statehouse. The three women told the outlet they feared retribution from the lawmaker.

One of the women told the outlet Durham "crossed the line: You don't text and constantly message on Facebook and ask to meet up at bars in the evening."

It was also revealed in a July 2016 report by then Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III that Durham has been accused of inappropriate misconduct by at least 22 women. Slatery investigated the allegations for six months.

The said report revealed how Durham allegedly had sexual intercourse with a 20-year-old "college student/political worker" on a couch at the former lawmaker's legislative office.

Durham denied sexually harassing anyone, and said the attorney general's report was "anonymous hearsay." A federal investigation was launched on the allegations against Durham, but new details are scarce about the probe's progress.

In email correspondence obtained by The Tennessean, it was revealed Durham remained under federal investigation as of January 2020.