A move to expel a Tucson lawmaker from the House ended abruptly this afternoon with his resignation.
The action came just hours after the Ethics Committee voted unanimously to conclude that there was evidence Daniel Patterson was guilty of disorderly behavior and recommended that he be ousted. Patterson had argued to the committee that nothing he has done rises to the level of meriting expulsion.
"I realize that sometimes my behavior has been intimidating," Patterson admitted. "That has never been intentional. I never go to a member or anyone else here with the idea that I'm going to try to intimidate them even though I realize that sometimes my behavior can be interpreted as intimidating. That has never been intentional. And I am working very hard to make sure that that does not happen again."
But Rep. Ted Vogt who chairs the Ethics Committee said everything in the investigative report counters Patterson's contention that he has learned from his mistakes.
"And everything you're talking about, you'll try harder is prospective," Vogt said. "But every time we hit one of these new data points, I've learned from this, I'm going to try harder, in all these, it's been over a course of years here. And your behavior has not been corrected."
Patterson quickly left the Capitol, leaving only his letter that he was resigning under protest.