TVSpy
Sometimes an investigative report is built on classified documents and inside sources, and sometimes an investigative report is built on a hot mic and “eye-patch panties.”
In an exclusive report on Tuesday evening, KCAL, a CBS O&O in Los Angeles, aired video of married Republican assemblyman Michael Duvall speaking with a colleague before an assembly session. During the mostly one-sided conversation, Duvall graphically detailed recent trists that he had with two women. At one point, Duvall declared, “I am getting into spanking.” In another moment, he described his lover’s underwear as a popular pirate accessory.
All of the lewd details were caught by a nearby microphone and now Duvall, a popular local politician representing California’s 72nd district, has resigned. In a message posted to his website on Wednesday afternoon, less than 24 hours after the KCAL newscast, Duvall apologized, saying, “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 has resigned from office.
The “all involved” portion of Duvall’s apology is laced with scandal since it appears that at least one of the women that he engaged in sexual relations with is a political lobbyist. On the video, Duvall mentions that one of his girlfriends recently celebrated a birthday, turning 36. It has been reported that veteran Sacramento lobbyist Heidi DeJong Barsuglia turned 36 years old on July 6.
KCAL’s Dave Lopez, who covered the original story, reported on Wednesday that Barsuglia is a lobbyist for a local energy firm. Duvall served as the vice chairman of the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee. An ethics committee is set to investigate the Duvall-Barsuglia relationship and, as Lopez reports, wants to know, “Did any of the sexual escapades take place inside of that capital building?”