An Idaho ethics committee voted to recommend the expulsion of a lawmaker accused of rape on Thursday.
The Idaho House Ethics Committee voted unanimously, calling for Republican Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger’s suspension and expulsion from the legislative body, following a hearing in which the accuser was forced to testify, according to the Idaho Press.
Von Ehlinger, 38, is accused of raping a 19-year-old House intern who claims that, after a date with the lawmaker, he invited her to his apartment where he then pinned her down, forced her to perform oral sex on him, and masturbated on her. He has denied the allegations and claims the encounter was consensual.
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For the lawmaker to get expelled, it would take a two-thirds vote, while it would require a majority vote to suspend or censure him, according to the Associated Press.
The accuser, who testified behind a black curtain to keep her identity private, claimed she told Von Ehlinger “no” in several different ways before he attempted to initiate sexual contact.
“How do I explain that — vomiting on myself in the bathroom … calling my mom because I’m terrified. … How do I explain that to the committee, what you’ve done to me?” she said of being forced to testify. “I came here fighting and earning your respect. But I don’t blame you. I forgive you. You’re doing your job, and I am too.”
Von Ehlinger did not answer questions during the hearing, at the insistence of his lawyer, though the committee voted to hold him in contempt as a result of it.
“I am instructing him not to answer these questions based on his Fifth Amendment rights, and I don’t believe any competent counsel could advise him otherwise,” his attorney Edward Dindinger said.
While the proceeding wasn’t a criminal one, the Boise Police Department is investigating the alleged incident. The hearing’s intended purpose was to figure out if he should face penalties for his actions from the legislative body.
“We are horrified by what happened after her testimony yesterday,” a joint statement Thursday from the 19-year-old’s attorney, Erika Birch, and Annie Hightower with the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence said. “Again we urge the House of Representatives to show up for the teen survivor and all the other women who have been violated or made uncomfortable by von Ehlinger’s conduct. We demand accountability and immediate removal and expulsion.”
The accuser’s name has reportedly been shared on certain blogs and by a Republican politician, Rep. Priscilla Giddings.
Giddings reportedly referred to the accuser as a “honey trap” and called the allegations a “liberal smear job” in a newsletter sent to her constituents. She also claimed the accuser “accosted” her after that and left her a voicemail saying the lawmaker would “pay for her sins.”
“I never spoke to her. I carried on as quickly as I could,” Giddings said. “But it was, ‘Rep. Giddings, you call yourself a woman of integrity. You’re a Christian woman. You’re liked. You are destroying my life. I’m just a teenager. Why are you doing this?’ It was very loud.”
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Republican Idaho Gov. Brad Little praised the accuser for her courage.
“I applaud Jane Doe and the other brave women for their courage in telling their stories and participating in this process to hold Representative Aaron von Ehlinger accountable for his deeply damaging and shameful actions,” he said. “Being elected by the people and serving in a legislative body carries immense weight and responsibility to act with dignity, civility, and integrity at all times.”
