'I am deeply saddened that my inappropriate comments have become a major distraction for my colleagues in the Assembly, who are working hard on the very serious problems facing our state,' he said in a statement posted on his Web site. 'I have come to the conclusion that it would not be fair to my family, my constituents or to my friends on both sides of the aisle to remain in office. Therefore, I have decided to resign my office, effective immediately, so that the Assembly can get back to work.' Capitol BlackBerrys started buzzing after Los Angeles TV station late Tuesday aired a videotape of the Yorba Linda Republican talking to a colleague at a committee hearing in explicit detail about recent trysts. In the KCAL footage, Duvall, vice chairman of the Utilities and Commerce Committee, appears not to realize his microphone is on during a lull in a July hearing when he talks about his conquest of two women. Reporter Dave Lopez reported that Duvall, 54, says on the tape that the women with whom he had been having sex were lobbyists. The report said one of the lobbyists worked for a utility with business before Duvall's committee but did not give her name. Later footage shows Duvall ducking Lopez on the Assembly floor and in hallways outside the chamber as the reporter confronts him with questions about his sexual encounters. The Assembly Legislative Ethics Committee is looking into the reports about Duvall's alleged relationship with the lobbyist with business before his committee, a source close to the ethics committee said Wednesday. 'They are taking this very seriously,' the source said. Meanwhile, Duvall posted this apology on his campaign Web site: 'I made a mistake and I sincerely apologize. I deeply regret the comments I made in what I believed to be a private conversation. This is a private matter and I ask that everyone respect the privacy of all involved.' Duvall joined the Assembly in 2006, representing the 72nd District. According to his Assembly Web site, he also runs an insurance business with his wife. 