Disgraced Va. lawmaker leaves House seat to run for Senate

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A disgraced lawmaker who was jailed for a sex scandal involving a teenager has vacated his seat in the House of Delegates to run for the state Senate.Joseph Morrissey formally announced his Senate bid Wednesday at a church in Richmond.Morrissey has moved out of his Henrico County House district and into a Richmond-area Senate district currently represented by Democratic Sen. Rosalyn R. Dance. By doing so, Morrissey automatically vacated his House seat.House leaders toyed with the idea of kicking Morrissey out of the House earlier this year but ultimately did not.Morrissey is currently facing charges of fabricating a document that he presented as evidence in December, when he was convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a minor in a sex scandal involving a 17-year-old girl.Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.