FORT PIERRE, S.D. (AP) State Senator Dan Sutton of Flandreau has been sued for $250,000 in damages by former legislative page Austin Wiese (WEES), who alleges Sutton groped him in a motel room in Fort Pierre.

Wiese's lawsuit alleges two counts of sexual battery and one count of sexual assault. It's a civil lawsuit no criminal charges have been filed.

The suit claims Sutton invited Wiese to stay with him at the motel during the 2006 session.

Court documents say they shared the one bed in the room and that on three nights in a row, Sutton inappropriately touched and fondled Wiese, who then moved out of the room.

Wiese, now 19, says he has suffered mental anguish, shame, indignity, embarrassment, pain and suffering.

He's being represented by former Congressman and Governor Bill Janklow.

Early this year, the state Senate held a hearing on the allegations. The Senate then voted to censure Sutton rather than expel him.

The Associated Press maintains that they have a policy that a lawmaker's political party affiliation is only mentioned when it is germane to the story. Of course, what "germane" means to the AP is a criteria that is never satisfactorily explained by the AP. One thing is sure, I personally have never seen a lawmaker misconduct story where the perp... I mean pol... in question is a Republican without his party affiliation being mentioned. Apparently, anytime it is a Republican in such a story it is "germane" to AP's story to mention his party!

Yet, mysteriously, when the story centers on a member of the Democrat Party, the AP quite often posts its story on lawmaker misconduct without the Democrat's party label mentioned.

Sure is mysterious, don't you think?