House Speaker Chris Donovan announced this afternoon that he would relieve Deputy Speaker James O’Rourke, D-Cromwell, of his leadership duties following the news that Rocky Hill Police are seeking the latter’s arrest in connection with a January incident which led to the death of a 40-year-old woman. Police are seeking an arrest warrant, according to the Hartford Courant, of one count of criminally negligent homicide – a misdemeanor.

Donovan’s action come very late and seem to miss the entire point of O’Rourke’s action that night, which started in a bar in Cromwell January 21 and ended the next morning when a cross-country skier found the body of the woman by the Connecticut River. She had died of exposure, having left O’Rourke’s car without a coast, shoes or pocketbook. Donovan initially said O’Rourle was being a “good Samaritan” by trying to help the woman get home.  And later, when asked by reporters why he hadn’t disciplined his deputy earlier, the Speaker said the matter was no longer a police investigation.

O’Rourke had told authorities he had given the woman a ride from the bar after police were called to the establishment to investigate a disturbance involving the woman and another man in a wheelchair. O’Rourke said he was attacked by the woman and had merely been trying to help. But he did not call anyone about the incident and has not spoken publicly about the details or inconsistencies in his statement to the Rocky Hill PD.

Donovan and O’Rourke must know they are borrowing time with this serious incident.  The indictment might reveal more  pertinent details but at the very least it will put pressure on the Democrats to apply the same standard to one of their own that they routinely accomplish when a Republican misbehaves.

What has also been striking, but not surprising, has been the total silence by the gaggle of left-leaning women’s rights groups who have failed to utter one word of criticism against O’Rourke for leaving a woman to freeze in the winter night. Chief among them is the fabled Commission of the Status of Women, who have spent a good deal of taxpayer subsidized time trying to save themselves from the budget knife.

O’Rourke is now serving in his 10th term in the House after serving as a staff member in the lower chamber.