Aaron von Ehlinger | |
---|---|
Member of the IdahoHouseofRepresentatives from the 6th district | |
In office June 3, 2020 –April 29, 2021 | |
Preceded by | Thyra Stevenson |
Succeeded by | Lori McCann |
Personal details | |
Born | Aaron Anson Ehlinger May 7,1982 Orofino,Idaho,U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Education | University of Alabama (BA) |
Military service | |
Branch/service | United States Army |
Battles/wars | War in Afghanistan |
Aaron von Ehlinger (born Aaron Anson Ehlinger,May 7,1982) is an American former politician and convicted sex offender who served as a member of the Idaho House of Representatives from the 6th district. He was appointed to the House by Republican Governor Brad Little on June 3,2020,and resigned on April 29,2021. In 2022,he was convicted of raping a legislative intern, [1] and was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the crime. [2]
Von Ehlinger was born and raised in Orofino,Idaho. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Alabama. [3] [4]
Von Ehlinger served in the United States Army,where he was deployed to Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks. After leaving the Army,von Ehlinger has worked as a substitute teacher and real estate developer. He was appointed to the Idaho House of Representatives by Governor Brad Little on June 3,2020,filling the seat left vacant after the death of Thyra Stevenson. [3]
Von Ehlinger sponsored a bill to restrict the government's ability to place public art. The bill (HB 311) was presented to the House Revenue &Taxation Committee. He claimed that the government displaying public art was a waste of the taxpayer's money. [5]
In April 2021,von Ehlinger was accused of "unconsented sexual contact" with a teenage legislative intern. [6] [7] Von Ehlinger denied the allegations,stating that the encounter was consensual. [8] The Idaho House Ethics Committee and Boise Police Department later began investigations into the allegations. [9] [10] In August 2021,after the allegations surfaced,another Republican house member,Priscilla Giddings,from White Bird,Idaho,exposed Ehlinger's victim's identity on social media,emailing it to constituents,with right-wing blogs subsequently posting the girl's name and her photo online. [6]
It was later reported that Legislature Ethics Committee documents disclosed previous complaints against von Ehlinger for unwanted advances toward female employees;von Ehlinger had been warned about this behavior. [8] [11] After the House Ethics Committee voted unanimously to recommend that von Ehlinger be expelled from the House,he resigned from his position on April 29,2021. [12] [13]
On September 25,2021,von Ehlinger was arrested in Atlanta after returning to the U.S. from Central America,where he had been since May 2021. [14] [15] On October 8,2021,von Ehlinger was arrested on felony charges of rape and forcible penetration after being extradited to Idaho and booked into the Ada County Jail. He was released the same day. [16]
On April 29,2022,Ehlinger was found guilty on the charge of rape and acquitted on the charge of forcible penetration. [1] On August 31,2022,Ehlinger was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the crime. He will be required to serve at least eight years before being eligible for parole,and to register as a sex offender after he is released. [2] [17]
Rick Roeber is an American politician and long-distance runner. He was expelled from the Missouri House of Representatives in April 2021,as a result of an investigation of allegations that he had physically,mentally,and sexually abused his own children.
Randy L. Baumgardner is an American politician who served in the Colorado House of Representatives from the 57th district from 2009 to 2013,and in the Colorado Senate from the 8th district from 2013 to 2019,as a member of the Republican Party. Baumgardner resigned after more allegations came out against him following an unsuccessful expulsion vote.
Chad Christensen is an American politician,former law enforcement officer,and U.S. Army veteran,who is a former member of the Idaho House of Representatives for the 32nd district,Seat B. He is a Republican.
Raúl Rafael Labrador is an American lawyer and politician from Idaho,currently the state's attorney general. A member of the Republican Party,he was the U.S. Representative for Idaho's 1st congressional district from 2011 to 2019 and chaired the Idaho Republican Party from 2019 to 2020. He also represented the 14B district in the state legislature from 2006 to 2010.
Randolph Blake Farenthold is an American politician and lobbyist. A member of the Republican Party,Farenthold co-hosted a conservative talk-radio program before beginning a career in politics. Farenthold served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 27th congressional district from 2011 until his resignation in April 2018 in the wake of reports he used public funds to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit and had created an intensely hostile work environment for women in his congressional office. Upon resigning,Farenthold pledged to reimburse the US$84,000 in public money that he used to settle the lawsuit. He later reneged on his pledge to repay.
Saeed Abedini is an Iranian American Christian pastor who was imprisoned in Iran in 2012 based on allegations that he compromised national security. During his imprisonment,Abedini became internationally known as a victim of religious persecution. Following international pressure,along with other American prisoners,Abedini was released from prison on 16 January 2016.
Thyra Kay Stevenson was an American politician from Idaho. She was a Republican member of Idaho House of Representatives from District 6 in the A seat,dying in office.
Brandon Antone Hixon was an American politician and an Idaho Republican Party member of the Idaho House of Representatives from 2012 to 2017,representing District 10,Seat A. He resigned in late 2017 while under criminal investigation and killed himself in January 2018.
Add The Words,Idaho is an LGBTQ2A activist group and political action committee (PAC) in the United States,extant since 2010,which advocates adding the words "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" to the state's human rights act;this group grew out of several others which had been advocating the same. After ten years,however,Add The Words activist have been unable to achieve even one state-wide protection for LGBTQ2A Idahoans. An associated all-volunteer direct action group,Add The 4 Words Idaho,under the leadership of former state senator Nicole LeFavour,undertook a series of civil disobedience protests beginning on February 3,2014,at the Statehouse.
Idaho Legislative District 6 is one of 35 districts of the Idaho Legislature. It is currently represented by Dan Johnson,Republican of Lewiston and Mike Kingsley,Republican of Lewiston. Aaron von Ehlinger also represented the seat until his resignation on June 29,2021.
Heather Scott is an American biologist,businesswoman,and far-right politician serving as a Republican member of the Idaho House of Representatives from the 1st district.
The 2017–18 United States political sexual scandals saw a heightened period of allegations of sexual misconduct,harassment and assault,and resulted in the subsequent firings and resignations of American politicians. Some of the allegations are linked to the aftermath of the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse cases starting in October 2017 amid the wider MeToo movement.
Ronny Lynn Jackson is an American physician,politician,and retired United States Navy rear admiral who is the U.S. representative for Texas's 13th congressional district.
Wiley "Chip" Edward Price IV is a Democratic member of the Missouri General Assembly representing the State's 84th House district.
Dorothy Moon is an American far-right politician who served as a Republican member of Idaho House of Representatives from the 8B district from 2016 to 2022. Moon has been the Chair of Idaho Republican Party since July 2022.
Michael Zabel is an American politician. He served as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 163rd district from 2019 to 2023.
Priscilla Giddings is an American far-right politician serving as a member of Idaho House of Representatives from the 7A district. She was a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor of Idaho in the 2022 election. In 2021 she was censured by the Idaho Legislature for publishing the identity of the teenage victim raped by her Republican colleague Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger,attacking her online and in newsletters;and then lying under oath.
Lauren Necochea is an American politician serving as a member of the Idaho House of Representatives from the 19th district,which includes a portion of Boise,Idaho.
Ben Adams is an American politician serving as a member of the Idaho House of Representatives from the 13B district. Elected in November 2020,he assumed office on December 1,2020.