When asked about the accusations, Kihuen said, "I sincerely apologize for anything that I may have said or done that made her feel uncomfortable". On December 13, 2017, a second woman accused Kihuen of sexual misconduct. The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, told "The Nevada Independent" that he touched her thighs or butt in three separate incidents, and has sent her hundreds of sexually suggestive text messages. As of December 13, Kihuen has yet to deny or confirm the allegation to the "Independent". A third woman accused Kihuen of improper touching. In November 2018, the House Ethics Committee formally sanctioned Kihuen, determining he "made persistent and unwanted advances towards women". The report noted that "each of the complainant’s allegations were supported by documentary evidence and some of the alleged incidents were corroborated by third-party witnesses." The chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Ben Ray Luján, demanded Kihuen's resignation immediately after being presented with the allegations by "BuzzFeed" on December 1, saying that "If anyone is guilty of sexual harassment or sexual assault, they should not hold elected office, Congressman Kihuen should resign." Luján further punished Kihuen by ordering his immediate removal from the DCCC's Frontline program for incumbents in vulnerable seats. Luján was joined just after midnight on December 2 by House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, who called for Kihuen's resignation and declared that "the young woman's documented account is convincing, and I commend her for the courage it took to come forward". Nevada Democrats were quick to condemn Kihuen, although only Jacky Rosen, a fellow member of Congress, explicitly called for him to resign. Aaron Ford, Kihuen's former leader in the Nevada State Senate, told reporters that he was "deeply disappointed and disturbed" by the allegations. Perhaps the most scathing criticism came from Congresswoman Dina Titus, who said that "many believed Ruben had great potential, but unfortunately his personal behavior has jeopardized his political career" and that "zero tolerance means zero tolerance. Ruben needs to step up and do what's right for the people of Nevada". Chase, who managed Kihuen's successful campaign but did not join his Washington office, told "BuzzFeed" that he believes the former finance director, and wishes that he "had known her specific allegations when I confronted Ruben after she left the campaign or in time to stop what took place". Lucy Flores, who served alongside Kihuen in the Nevada Legislature and had been his Democratic primary opponent in 2016, said that she found the allegations unsurprising given his reputation in the legislature, where "even though he maintained a girlfriend, he was known to be very flirtatious and hands on" and that she had "personally witnessed him being grabby with young, attractive women".