Associated Press | September 9, 2009
By Juliet Williams

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - A Republican state lawmaker from Southern California was ousted Wednesday from two legislative committees after he was caught on tape bragging about having sex with female lobbyists.

Assemblyman Mike Duvall of Yorba Linda made the comments to another man during a break in a committee meeting at the Capitol over the summer, and they were caught on a microphone at his desk.

In a recording of the hearing broadcast by KCAL-TV in Los Angeles, the 54-year-old lawmaker talks about a recent sexual escapade with a woman he says is 18 years younger than him.

"I like spanking her," he is heard to say on the videotape. "She goes, 'I know you like spanking me.' I said, 'Yeah, that's cause you're such a bad girl.'"

He then brags about an affair he is having with another lobbyist.

Duvall apologized Wednesday for the comments on his campaign Web site.

"I made a mistake and I sincerely apologize," he said in the brief statement. "I deeply regret the comments I made in what I believed to be a private conversation. This is a private matter and I ask that everyone respect the privacy of all involved."

Duvall's spokeswoman, Carolyn Ginno, did not immediately respond to a call from The Associated Press.

Duvall, a father of two, received a 100 percent rating from Capitol Resource Institute, a conservative advocacy group, for his votes on legislation considered pro-family during the 2007-08 legislative session.

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles, asked the Assembly Ethics Committee to investigate. She also removed Duvall from the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee, which considers utility regulations, and the Assembly Rules Committee.

"I am saddened and disappointed in the recent comments made by Assemblymember Mike Duvall," Bass said in a statement. "There is no question his comments were inappropriate."

Assembly Minority Leader Sam Blakeslee, R-San Luis Obispo, said he also asked Duvall to step down as a member of the Republican caucus leadership.

"The statements he made were inappropriate and unacceptable," Blakeslee said.

Duvall was elected in 2006 to represent an Orange County district that includes Fullerton, Anaheim, Placentia, Orange, Brea and Yorba Linda. Before that, he served six years on the Yorba Linda City Council.

He also owns an insurance agency.

The lawmaker was vice chairman of the utilities committee, which had been considering one of the more hotly contested bills in the current legislative session. The bill, which is still be debated, would require utilities to generate 33 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2020.

Many utilities oppose it.

On July 6, Duvall was one of five Republicans to vote against the legislation, which is sponsored by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto.