Idaho lawmaker accused of rape should be censured, suspended from office: ethics committee

An Idaho House ethics committee said Thursday that a lawmaker accused of raping a 19-year-old intern should be formally censured and suspended from office.

The committee also recommended holding state Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger (R) in contempt for invoking the Fifth Amendment and not answering questions at a Wednesday hearing according to The Associated Press.

The panel reportedly said that under Idaho state law, the amendment wouldn’t apply since testimony given to a legislative ethics committee can’t be used in criminal court.

Suspension will not permanently remove Ehlinger from office, though the panel said it would unanimously support a motion to expel him if a member chose to bring one up.

The full House could vote as soon as Friday, with a majority needed to suspend the lawmaker. If he is suspended, von Ehlinger has to immediately vacate his office and stay off the Capitol, the AP reported.

A new lawmaker would be appointed in his place.

The intern’s attorneys, Annie Hightower and Erika Birch with the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, urged the full House to vote on the matter on social media.

“If the House follows the Committee’s recommendation, it will effectively remove von Ehlinger from office for the 66th legislative session. We urge the full House of Representatives to take up this matter as soon as possible,” they said.

The panel found probable cause to investigate von Ehlinger earlier in April when the intern reported that he forced her to perform oral sex on him they went to a restaurant together. Von Ehlinger has denied the allegations, which the Boise Police Department is investigating.

He has not been charged with a crime.

During the intern’s testimony on Wednesday, some audience members violated the panel’s rules by filming the victim after she left and shared the photos, according to The Idaho Press.

“We are horrified by what happened after her testimony yesterday,” Hightower and Birch said.

Von Ehlinger reportedly had previous harassment complaints against him, to the point where state House Majority Caucus Chairwoman Megan Blanksma (R) sent a colleague to warn him to avoid contact perceived as flirtatious.

The AP reported that Blanksma told the panel that von Ehlinger got “defensive” over the suggestion, saying he felt it was OK to ask out women at the state’s Capitol because they would say something if they had an issue.

Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) applauded the panel’s decision in a statement on Thursday, saying von Ehlinger’s “inappropriate and alarming actions stand in opposition to the values and behavior state elected officials must uphold.”

“Now, the public expects the full Idaho House Representatives to carry out the recommendation of the committee and ensure the integrity of the Idaho Legislature,” Little said.