Indiana attorney general denies sexual assault allegations, challenges call for a special prosecutor

Lawyers for Indiana Atty. Gen. Curtis Hill have filed court papers challenging the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate allegations that he drunkenly groped a lawmaker and three legislative staffers.

A document filed in Marion Superior Court in Indianapolis also challenges the authority of the state’s inspector general to build a case against him, the Times of Northwest Indiana reported Saturday.

The document filed Thursday asks Judge Lisa Borges to recognize that there’s no immediate need for a special prosecutor because no criminal allegations have been filed with law enforcement authorities, and it requests that she take no further action in selecting one.

The “appointment of a special prosecutor is premature and/or anticipatory, and does nothing more than create the impression and fuel the speculation that there was a crime committed or should be a criminal investigation,” the document says.

Borges on Tuesday approved Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry’s request for a special prosecutor to investigate the allegations, which were first made public in a legislative memo leaked to media outlets. No special prosecutor has yet been appointed.

Meanwhile, three state representatives — Ed DeLaney of Indianapolis, Ryan Dvorak of South Bend and Matt Pierce of Bloomington — announced Saturday they have proposed a House resolution asking Republican Speaker Brian Bosma to begin an investigation into whether Hill should be impeached for alleged acts of misconduct. The General Assembly currently isn’t in session.

Inspector General Lori Torres said Friday that her office is investigating the allegations that Hill, a Republican, drunkenly groped four women at an Indianapolis bar early on March 15 at a party celebrating the end of the legislative session. Bosma, Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb and other officials from both major parties have called on Hill to resign.

Hill has denied the allegations and has rebuffed the calls for his resignation.