The majority of those who participate in the democratic process typ-ically believe the officials they elect will positively represent them, as well as their city, state or country. Sadly, history has repeatedly revealed their inability to maintain the lofty standard the public demands from them.

Because of this, it can hardly be surprising Sheboygan Mayor Bob Ryan helped Wisconsin garner some much-appreciated national attention recently. Ryan was accused of sex-ual misconduct in the workplace last week by Angela Payne, his former human resources secretary. Payne accused Ryan of making repeated sexual advances towards her while at work, to which she did not comply. Ultimately, Payne claims her repeated denials of Ryan’s sexual advances resulted in her termination in August.

Furthermore, a few days later, an unknown person posted a video on YouTube of a clearly intoxicated Bob Ryan making sexually explicit comments about his sister-in-law. In the video, Ryan mentions both his sister-in-law’s weight and her ability to perform oral sex. Suddenly, Ryan found himself amid the beginnings of a scandal.

On Sept. 24, Ryan held a press conference to publicly apologize for the comments he made while out drinking with “some of the guys.” However, he neglected to comment on the current issue with Angela Payne, stating only that it is a “legal issue.”

Ryan has been slammed pretty hard by the media for his comments, as well as his inability to articulate an actual defense for the Angela Payne issue. Jay Leno even did a small segment on Ryan Friday night.

As Wisconsinites, we are represented by the people we choose to elect, and despite the fact residents of Madison have no say in who the mayor of Sheboygan is, he still represents our state. Ryan’s inebriated dialogue concerning his sister-in-law’s sexual prowess can only be described as disgraceful, and all of Wisconsin has been subjected to this misrepresentation.

Ryan did take the time to apologize though, and although honorable would be a rather exaggerated adjective, the short press conference was at least humbling. The problem remains: He failed to address the much more severe accusation of the claims of sexual misconduct in the workplace brought forward by Angela Payne.

Both Ryan and a few Wisconsin aldermen have brought forward the suspicion the release of this video so soon after Payne’s accusations is more than just coincidence. This is definitely a possibility, but before we burn Ryan at the stake for witchcraft and sexual deviancy, we must wait for all the facts to come out in the Angela Payne case. It is entirely possible that Ryan is being overly victimized for some drunken comments to further someone else’s political or financial agenda.

However, Ryan’s un-willingness to comment seems overly careful for someone who is entirely innocent. There is very little gray area when it comes to making sexual advances, and if Ryan remained completely pro-fessional with Payne, then he should stand strong with his convictions. Its seems as though a man who has no issue speaking explicitly about his sister-in-law in public would also make every effort to defend himself in front of his constituents and his state.

As the case goes on, it will most likely become apparent as to whether Ryan or Payne is lying. Unfortunately, our legal process relies on both honesty and the ability of either a judge or jury to discern fact from fiction. Ryan’s comments may reveal that he can be a disgusting pig, especially after a few drinks, but they aren’t necessarily related to his conduct at work. His comments do not directly relate to any form of guilt concerning his relationship with Angela Payne. Although if Ryan and Payne reach any sort of settlement outside of court, my guess is Ryan is certainly guilty of some serious sexual harassment issues.

Ryan’s scandal, as well as his desire to “seek medical professional help,” according to his apology, definitely open up some startling character issues. Whether or not Ryan violated his position’s requirements is uncertain, but he has certainly violated the trust of his citizens. Hopefully, this scandal will remain foolish drunken comments, and not give way to a larger issue concerning Payne.

Regardless, time will almost certainly tell whether Ryan is a chauv-inistic sexual deviant or if Payne is simply a jaded employee bitter about her unacceptable work ethic. Meanwhile, it would be pertinent to reconsider the importance an elected official’s character plays in both his ability to represent his constituents and perform the tenets of his job.

Dan Rose ([email protected]) is a sophomore majoring in journalism.