W.Va. delegate stripped of committee position over sexually explicit TikTok

A West Virginia state delegate has been removed from his position on a committee after he reportedly posted a sexually explicit TikTok giving advice on oral sex. 

The video was posted by Del. Joe Jeffries (R) on his social media account, which according to local CBS affiliate station WOWK has now been set to private. 

The CBS News station reported that one social media user commented on the video, “Shouldn’t you act more professional? Because you’re an elected official?”

Jeffries reportedly responded, “I’m an elected official, but I’m still a real person.”

However, the delegate quickly received backlash from his colleagues, and West Virginia House Speaker Roger Hanshaw (R) issued a statement Friday calling Jeffries “an embarrassment not just to the House of Delegates, but to the entire state.” 

“Serving in the West Virginia House of Delegates has been the honor of my lifetime, but not everyone has the same respect for this office, our body or their fellow members,” Hanshaw wrote. “When you take the oath, you are serving not just your district, but also the entire state.” 

The speaker went on to say Jeffries “has shown us more than once that he does not respect the office he was elected to serve.” 

“I am but one member among 100, and his constituents will have the opportunity at the ballot box in 2022 to decide whether he represents them as they wish,” Hanshaw said, adding that he has decided to adopt “the only tool at my disposal to express my disgust with his repeated, reprehensible behavior” by stripping him of his committee vice chairman position. 

“Carrying out the will of the people is serious work, and I expect better behavior of our members, even in what they believe is their private time,” he added.

The Hill has reached out to Jeffries’s office for comment. 

According to WOWK, Jeffries has previously been at the center of controversy, including last April when he reportedly interrupted a meeting among fellow lawmakers by making vulgar remarks about a portion of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s (R) anatomy. 

Other groups on Friday issued statements condemning the delegate over the TikTok video, including the West Virginia Republican Party, which said that “such behavior by any public official is unacceptable.” 

“Through his poor judgement and actions, Delegate Jeffries has brought shame to himself, his office, his constituents, and our Party,” the state GOP said.