Ethics Panel: Idaho Lawmaker Accused of Rape Should be Censured
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho lawmaker who was accused of rape by a 19-year-old intern should be formally censured and suspended from office, a legislative ethics committee found on Thursday.
The full House could vote on the matter as soon as Friday. If a majority agrees, Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger will be required to vacate his office and stay off the Statehouse grounds immediately, and a new lawmaker would be appointed to fill in for the Republican from Lewiston.
The panel also recommend that von Ehlinger be held in contempt for refusing to answer some questions during his testimony on Wednesday. The lawmaker invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself on the advice of his attorney, but Idaho law states that testimony given in a legislative ethics panel can’t be used in criminal court cases. That means the Fifth Amendment doesn’t apply, the committee said.