Former Lt. Gov Mandela Barnes dropped out of the crowded and chaotic Democratic gubernatorial primary in Wisconsin on Thursday.
Shortly after he dropped out, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that it was looking into allegations that Barnes had used his position to have “sexual encounters with young adult women.” The outlet initially provided few other details, adding only that it was continuing to report on the story.
The Journal Sentinel soon updated its story to add that the state Democratic Party hired a law firm last year to look into “similar claims,” but the information it received was “anonymous and unspecific” and was not actionable. The outlet also reported that the Democrat has not been accused of committing crimes.