Jack Husted, the former Arizona Game and Fish Commission chairman appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer (R) who resigned last week, was the subject of numerous sexual harassment allegations, the Arizona Republic reported on Thursday.
Husted allegedly made inappropriate suggestions to female workers from the Game and Fish Department and gave surprise hugs, according to former colleagues. Several claimed that Husted had "a relationship" with a staffer and was currently living with one of them, according to a memo acquired by the Arizona Republic, penned by human resources official Diana Shaffer.
Husted submitted his resignation on April 11. In his letter, addressed to Brewer, Husted stated that he wanted to "embark on a new chapter" and focus on his family and faith.
In response to the harassment allegations, according to the Arizona Republic, Husted said in a statement that he was was just "a man from rural Arizona where a handshake and a hug and the trading of a joke are part of normal human contact."
"If my personal style of communication offended anyone, I apologize for any misunderstanding," Husted continued.
Brewer has experienced significant troubles with personnel this month. Former State Rep. Terri Proud (R) was fired from her position with the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services after making comments earlier this month suggesting that women weren't suited for combat because they experience menstrual cycles.
"Women have certain things during the month I’m not sure they should be out there dealing with," Proud told the Arizona-Sonora News Service.
Joey Strickland also resigned from his position as director of Arizona's Department of Veterans’ Services earlier this month. Strickland was responsible for hiring Proud, something he was told not to do, according to Brewer's spokesman Matt Benson.
“Col. Strickland was given very specific instructions about a year ago to avoid hiring this individual," Benson told the Arizona-Sonora News Service. "He chose to do so anyway and unfortunately that individual’s questionable judgment was on display this week with some ill chosen public remarks regarding women in the military."
Proud responded to the firing, claiming that Brewer "overreacted."
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