Ohio State Rep. Bob Young (R-Green) is resigning. He sent a letter Friday to Speaker of the House Jason Stephens saying he's stepping down effective Oct. 2.
The move comes as half of the Republicans in the Ohio House had called on him to resign following his second arrest in two months.
Young was arrested late last month for violating a protective order issued after he was arrested on domestic violence and assault charges in July. He's accused of fighting with his wife at their home and with his brother at his home following a fundraiser.
"I will be vigorously defending myself, and I'm looking forward to personal and legal vindication as the court process plays out," Young writes in his resignation letter. "I was hopeful that this matter could be resolved before this point, but I can no longer deny the distraction that this matter has caused the Ohio House of Representatives as an institution, as well as my colleagues, with whom I serve."
A day earlier, the state's top Republican added his name to growing list of those calling for Young's departure. In a conversation with reporters on Thursday, Gov. Mike DeWine said it’s time for Young to step down.
“This is a matter, obviously, that is up to the General Assembly. But, you know, these are some serious charges. It's not a good situation," DeWine said. "So I think he should resign."
Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill), who has been described as a close friend of Young's and was at the fundraiser the night the initial incident happened in July, had asked for Young to resign. Stephens stripped Young of his chairmanship of the House Pensions Committee after the second arrest.
A total of 34 Republican representatives signed a letter that says: "Serving in the Ohio House is a privilege - not a right. While our prayers are with the family of Rep. Bob Young during this difficult period for them, we have serious concerns about his recent conduct, and it is clear he is unable to provide effective representation to his constituents at this time. We genuinely hope that our colleague can receive the help he needs, and with that being the utmost importance, we call on Rep. Bob Young to resign."
The letter was shared on the social media site formerly known as Twitter by Rep. Derek Merrin (R-Napoleon), who noted that Young had been censured by the Ohio Republican Party for supporting Stephens over Merrin in the vote for speaker earlier this year.
