Florida senator files complaint on peer accused of groping

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A Florida senator filed a complaint against a colleague, saying he is intimidating a woman who accused him of groping.

Democratic Sen. Lauren Book filed her complaint with the Senate Rules Committee on Tuesday, saying Republican Sen. Jack Latvala made a deliberate effort to out his accuser, Rachel Perrin Rogers. Rogers is an aide to Senate Majority Leader Wilton Simpson.

Rogers is the first woman to go public with allegations against Latvala. Five others anonymously made similar claims about Latvala to Politico Florida.

Latvala says the allegations aren’t true and called Book’s complaint “guerrilla warfare” in an effort to keep the controversy alive.

He said he hasn’t seen the complaint, but the only thing he’s guilty of is defending himself. He also said Book violated Senate rules by making her complaint public before it could be reviewed.