NASHVILLE (AP) — Rep. Scott DesJarlais, a licensed physician, was reprimanded and fined by the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners for having sex with patients before he was elected to Congress, according to documents released Thursday.The Republican won re-election last year despite revelations he had affairs with patients and urged one of them to seek an abortion.He was fined $500 for two counts of unprofessional conduct, and is responsible for up to $1,000 in costs for the panel’s investigation. He did not contest the findingsThe ruling comes in response to two complaints filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which called the penalties “piteous.”“This decision demonstrates that Tennessee’s ban on sexual exploitation of patients is essentially meaningless,” Melanie Sloan, the group’s executive director, said in a statement. “Doctors in the Volunteer State can freely prey on patients with little fear of repercussions.”The watchdog group has also filed an ethics complaint in the U.S. House.DesJarlais did not immediately return a message seeking comment from The Associated Press.