Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is pushing to include details about Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David and his connection to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo s sexual harassment scandal in the official record from a Senate hearing on the Equality Act, a major legislative priority for LGBTQ rights groups.

Grassley, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, wrote in an Aug. 5 letter to the committees chair that details about Davids ties to the Democratic governor should be added to the record from a March 17 hearing on the bill. David testified that day in support of the Equality Act, which would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing and other areas.

A troubling report by the Attorney General for the State of New York found that this hearing witness for the majority played some role in efforts by current and former staff of Governor Andrew Cuomo to discredit a former employee who publicly complained of harassment, Grassley said in his letter to the committee chair, Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).

The New York Attorney Generals findings respecting Mr. David are relevant to the record of this Senate hearing, at which the potential adverse impacts of the Equality Act on women and girls were an important aspect of our hearing discussion, he said. It is highly concerning that Mr. David, who purports to speak for victims of discrimination and retaliation, reportedly played some role in retaliation against a female victim of sexual harassment.

Heres a copy of Grassleys letter:

Grassley is no fan of the Equality Act. His effort to discredit David is likely driven by a desire to see the bill go down at a time when Democrats control all of government and have a shot of passing it into law.

But the Republican senator could cause real problems for LGBTQ rights groups trying to push the landmark legislation through.

The Human Rights Campaign is the country's largest LGBTQ rights group, and until David is completely cleared of any wrongdoing in Cuomos scandal, Grassley and other GOP senators could continue to question his and HRCs credibility as they lobby for protecting queer people against harassment and discrimination. Its already unclear if the bill can pass in the Senate, where it needs 60 votes to advance. There are only 50 Democrats.

The Human Rights Campaign announced Monday that it hired a law firm to conduct its own investigation into whether David inappropriately helped Cuomo push back against sexual harassment allegations. The group expects its probe to be finished within 30 days.

Its not clear if Grassleys letter will make it into the record for the Equality Act hearing. Typically, the record for a Senate hearing closes 10 days after the hearing is done, which means this letter is far past that deadline. But the record can be reopened.

A Grassley spokesperson said his understanding was that Durbin did agree to include it in the record but said the record wouldnt be finalized for months.

A Durbin spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

A Human Rights Campaign spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on Grassleys letter.

David publicly called for Cuomos resignation shortly after the New York attorney generals report came out last week. And during a conference call the next day with Human Rights Campaign staff, David said he didnt know about the harassment allegations against Cuomo until the report was released.

I read the report word for word, and it left me sickened to my stomach, he said on the call. Theres nowhere in the report where it says that I was aware of any of these allegations.