State Assemblyman Scott Bendett, a Capital Region Republican, will be sanctioned following an investigation by the Assembly Ethics Committee that found he made “two statements related to religion and national origin to an international intern,” the office of Speaker Carl Heastie said Friday.

Bendett will be required to undergo sensitivity training as a result.

The former Rensselaer County legislator, who was elected unopposed to the Assembly in 2022, expressed “sincere remorse” for the statements, and acted in a forthcoming and honest manner during the Ethics Committee’s investigation, according to the committee’s letter, which was sent to Heastie.

In the letter, the committee said Bendett’s remorse and participation in the investigation, “coupled with the current highly emotional climate related to international strife,” led them to their recommendation of sensitivity training.

In a statement to Capital Tonight, Bendett said he accepted the report, guidance and full responsibility for his actions.

“I am a family man of strong Jewish faith and am remorseful for the words I chose to use in that setting," he said. "This is a teaching moment for me that, even in highly charged emotional political settings, I need to set a better example and do better – and I will.”