Wyoming Secretary of State Ed Murray denies accusation of sexual assault

Wyoming Secretary of State Ed Murray is denying claims he sexual assaulted a former co-worker.

In a Facebook post, Tatiana Maxwell alleges the incident happened 35 years ago when she and Murray worked together at a Cheyenne law firm.

She says she “told close friends about the incident at the time and my then husband some years later.” Maxwell goes on to say “As this issue of sexual harassment and assault has grown, my daughters have asked about my experience. As I described it, they asked what I did about it and the answer is, nothing. I did not know what to do and I don’t believe there was really any option available that would have properly addressed the problem. But it is a different time and they have encouraged me to speak up. I am gratified to know that they have a different understanding of things and know what to do if something like this would happen to one of them.”

In her Facebook post, Maxwell claims she had gotten a summer job out of high school. She says her co-worker, Murray, invited her to hang out in the receptionist’s area of the law office where they worked. She says Murray told her he was attracted to her and “started putting his hands on me and tried to kiss me.” Her post continues with graphic details on how he allegedly sexually assaulted her.

Maxwell claims Murray apologized and says she did not tell anyone because she thought it might get her fired. She also says Murray married one of her classmates, so they still saw each other at reunions, at which point he continued to apologize.

CBS Newschannel 5 spoke with Murray’s spokesperson Will Dineen on Wednesday who says he could not speak on the Secretary’s behalf. On Thursday morning, a statement was sent to KGWN in which Sec. Murray denied the allegation saying, “This baseless claim about an encounter from thirty-five years ago is unequivocally false. There is no basis to this falsehood whatsoever and it is deeply hurtful to me and to my family, as well as to everyone I serve.”

Sec. Murray says he “struggles to understand what would motivate someone to make this kind of accusation.”

You can read the entire statement below:

Ed Murray’s Statement In Response to Ms. Maxwell’s Claim

December 14, 2017

I was shocked and appalled to read Ms. Maxwell’s statement. This baseless claim about an encounter from thirty-five years ago is unequivocally false. There is no basis to this falsehood whatsoever and it is deeply hurtful to me and to my family, as well as to everyone I serve.

I struggle to understand what would motivate someone to make this kind of accusation. But considering that this statement was made in the context of the #metoo movement, I want to take this moment to acknowledge the overall importance of this conversation, as well as to reaffirm my commitment to being an ally for women. As a husband of thirty-one years and the father of four incredible daughters, I take my role as an advocate for women with utmost importance. While I am deeply disturbed by this false allegation, I choose to allow this to serve as a reminder of how important it is to be an advocate for the courageous women and men who have spoken out against a very serious problem in our country. Sexual harassment is real and has no place in our society.