(Lincoln, NE) -- A formal investigation into the actions of former Nebraska State Senator Mike Groene is launched by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Groene, of North Platte, resigned after being accused of taking pictures of one of his female staffers, cropping the pictures to zoom in on certain parts of her body and then emailing them to himself and others with explicit subject lines about the staffer. According to a complaint filed on Friday, the staffer was given Groene's state-issued laptop to do some work-related projects for him when she found the pictures of herself.
In recent days, several other state senators called for a more formal investigation into how the accusation had been handled leading up to Groene's resignation.
In a statement to WOWT 6 News, the Nebraska State Patrol said: “After consultation with the Attorney General’s Office, NSP has opened an investigation into the matter. Once complete, the findings will be delivered to the Attorney General."
Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts will appoint Groene’s replacement but has not said how quickly that will happen.