Questions Surround Rising Indiana GOP Star

ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING ANOTHER MAN
The newly-elected president of the Young Republican National Federation, Glenn Murphy, has stepped down as the group's president less than a month after being elected to the post at the group's convention in Florida last month amid a sex scandal involving him, which may prove as embarrassing to the national Republican Party as the Mark Foley scandal did during last year's congressional elections. Murphy, who also serves as chairman of the Clark Co. Republicans, has been viewed as a rising star in the Indiana and national GOP. His consulting firm has advised congressional candidates like that of former U.S. Rep. Mike Sodrel (R). He is fond of using divisive wedge issues, such as gay marriage, to promote his candidates. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels once said of Murphy: "Glenn Murphy is one of the most well-respected Republican leaders in Indiana. His media savvy and grassroots skills helped transform Southeast Indiana from a Democrat stronghold to a Republican growth area. He shoots for the 'impossible', and more often than not, he succeeds. I wholeheartedly endorse Glenn Murphy for Chairman of the Young Republican National Federation and his team for national leadership."

In a shocking police report filed by the Clark Co. Sheriff's office, Murphy is accused of sexually assaulting another man on July 29, 2007, while he lay sleeping in his bed. The alleged assault of the 22-year-old man took place in the Jeffersonville, Indiana home of his sister following a Young Republican party in which both Murphy and the 22-year-old man had been in attendance. The victim's sister had urged both men to spend the night at her home because of the amount of alcohol the two had consumed during the party. The victim awoke in the morning to find Murphy performing oral sex on him according to the report. When the victim asked Murphy what he was doing, he responded: "He was holding his dick with one hand and sucking my dick with his mouth." The victim then pushed Murphy away, gathered his personal belongings and left. Murphy was later confronted with the charges by the victim's sister according to the report. The sister says Murphy admitted to her that he performed the sex act on her brother. Taking Down Words reports Murphy is being investigated for committing criminal deviate conduct, a Class B felony. The police report also notes that Murphy was accused of committing a very similar act on another man back in 1998. It is unclear why Murphy was not prosecuted for the 1998 incident.

Murphy is shown in the photo above being interviewed during last month's YR convention at which he was elected the organization's president. Murphy, whose mother emigrated from Hong Kong, was raised in southern Indiana and was the first Republican in a Democrat family according to Asian Week. "At Indiana University, he majored in journalism and joined the College Democrats. But he soon realized that the Republican Party’s values were more in line with his own and promptly joined the College Republicans." "Parties and their names change, but your values will always remain the same," he said. "You have to remain true to your values." After college, Murphy started a public relations firm, in addition to establishing the Indiana Federation of Young Republicans, which grew in two years to more than 200 members according to the Asian Week story. "At age 27, he became county chair of the Clark County (Indiana) GOP, a post that he still holds." At least at this moment. When he was elected president of the YRs last month, he told his hometown newspaper, “I will essentially be the mouthpiece and effective leader for the tens of thousands of Young Republicans, 18 to 40, across the country.”

Please see a comment below purporting to be a letter from Murphy to fellow Clark Co. Republicans explaining his decision to give up his chairman position, attributing it to a new business contract which prohibits him from holding a partisan position . I have confirmed from several sources Murphy sent the e-mail in the comments below, as well as a similar one to YR colleagues.

My Dear Republican Friends,

The time is finally here. My term as Clark County Republican Chairman is at an end, and I wanted to thank all of you for the years of support and for the great achievements we have made as a Party. I've been a Republican officer in Clark County for nearly 10 years and your County Chairman for the past 7 years.

We've had some great successes - going from zero to 23 elected Republicans in Clark County and helping to elect the first Republican Congressman in 42 years. And I am confident that the Republican Party will continue to grow and succeed during this transfer of leadership.

We have been transitioning for the past month since I took the Chairmanship of the Young Republicans, and caucus notices are being sent to precinct committeemen with details for electing the new Chairman in two weeks.

Many of you may have already heard, but the favored replacement for Chairman is David Buskill. He will do an amazing job and take our Party to the next level. The rest of our our outstanding central committee will remain in place. I've been preparing myself for big changes since the YR election, but I didn't quite know how big some of those changes were going to be.

My company bid on a very large project more than a year ago. It was a job that I thought I would never get in a million years - one that could transform my company and do in one year what I could ordinarily do in five. Well, I got the job Friday.

Unfortunately, there was one major catch. Due to the nature of the client and a stipulation in the contract, I couldn't hold any official partisan positions, but I couldn't hold a Republican post myself. It was perfect timing for the County Chairmanship that I was transitioning out of anyway, but terrible timing for my volunteer Young Republican position that I had just worked so hard to achieve.

My family sat down with me Saturday evening to look at things from every angle. We determined that if I didn't take the job, there could potentially never be that type of opportunity again and I would be shorting the security of my future and the future of my family. I prayed with my family, and we determined that I have to take this opportunity for my long-term security.

I signed my new client contracts yesterday. Connie Sellers will act as interim Chairman until the caucuses in two weeks and Jessica Colón will take my place as YRNF Chair.

With strong and talented people in place ready to take over the good fight, my business decision became at least a little easier. It would be (as my family said) stupid to bypass this business opportunity.

So, I hope you can understand how heart-wrenching this has been for me. And I hope you can support me in one of the biggest decisions of my life. For the first time in 10 years, Glenn Murphy is a private citizen again and looking forward to other ways he can help.


Your Friend,
Glenn Murphy

UPDATE: Murphy's attorney, Larry Wilder, posted this comment on Taking Down Words this evening in response to the Clark Co. Sheriff's Department police report:

On behalf of Mr. Murphy I would point out several things:

1. Mr. Murphy has not been arrested nor has he been charged with a crime.

2. Mr. Murphy contends that the events that took place that evening were as between two consenting adults.

3. Mr. ------- and his sister taped, without Mr. Murphy's knowledge, their exchange. Mr. ------- did not inform the police of the existence of the tape. We informed the police of the existence of the tape in order to make sure that the police had all of the evidence.

4. At no time was Mr. ------- ever asked to forgo making a police report. In fact, Mr. ------- was informed that if he felt a crime occurred he should make a report.

5. The 1998 report was a public record. The allegations in 1998 were investigated and no action was taken. Upon the determination that the 1998 incident was closed the report became a public record.

6. It is very disappointing that the police report was leaked to the press. This is an ongoing criminal investigation. The report is not a public record. The act of leaking the report compromises the ability of the police to conduct their investigation. The act of leaking the report was clearly an effort to deny Mr. Murphy the opportunity to have a fair, unbiased chance to defend these allegations.

7. I am not a Republican. I am an attorney who represents clients. In fact, my wife has served as a Democrat elected official for sixteen (16) years having just been re-elected. This is not a partisan issue. This is an issue of fairness and due process. Neither of these know party affiliation, race, creed or religion. We all, both Democrats and Republicans, should embrace them and hope that, if ever in these same shoes, no one decides to trample these to impugn us before the process has been allowed to proceed.

I will not respond to any posts. I will not review this blog again. I only provide this information at the request of my client.

Thank You.

Larry O. Wilder, Attorney at Law, 530 East Court Ave., Jeffersonville, In. 47130