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RALEIGH – N.C. House Speaker Thom Tillis is speaking out on media reports that two of his former staffers who were recently forced to resign because of romantic relationships with lobbyists.

Tillis released a statement on Thursday morning saying he "stands by his decision to accept their resignation while recognizing the difficult transition period they are now entering."

The staffers were each given approximately a $10,000 severance.

“I stand by my statement. I think if you look at it it is very clearly, there is usually two weeks notice you would give for a resignation,” said Tillis. “I told them they needed to sever on the day they provided it and then there were 10 other days, but in my opinion given the broader context, I do think it is fair and I think I have outlined it in the statement.

Tillis said he has gotten no complaints about his decision for the payouts from his caucus. But state Democrats are calling this severance package a "golden parachute."