$2 2M cave sale, brothel lawsuit: News from around our 50 states usatoday.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from usatoday.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Attorneys Annie Hightower (left) and Erika Birch (right)
In the wake of disturbing testimony from a 19-year-old female volunteer staffer at the Idaho Capitol, telling a House Ethics Committee that she was sexually assaulted by a sitting lawmaker, two of the young woman’s attorneys say they have heard from people across the U.S. with what they call “an outpouring of support.”
“At least several every day, there are people reaching out,” said Erika Birch, partner with Boise- and Utah-based Strindberg, Scholnick, Birch, Hallam, Harstad and Thorne. “They reach out, just to say, ‘We really admire the courage that your client has exhibited,’ and, ‘We hope she’s doing well.’”
oxygen Insider Exclusive!
Sign Up for Free to View
A 19-year-old intern testified before a Legislative Ethics Committee that she had been raped by now-former Republican State Senator Aaron von Ehlinger.
The woman soon became the target of an organized harassment campaign undertaken by other Idaho lawmakers and supporters, including one who shared a link from a far-right blog post that publicly named the alleged victim, included her photo and revealed details about her personal life, according to a new report from The Associated Press.
After he woman, who had once believed the position was the first step in her path toward a career in government, testified against von Ehlinger, his supporters mobbed her as she made her way out of the hearing, crowding her and taking photos and video.
Idaho Statesman
State Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger, R-Lewiston, listens as an alleged victim, identified as Jane Doe, offers testimony during a hearing before the Idaho Ethics and House Policy Committee in the Lincoln Auditorium at the Idaho Statehouse in Boise, Idaho.
AP
Idaho state Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger, right, a Republican from Lewiston, watches as members of the House ethics committee discuss whether he acted in a way that was ‘unbecoming’ to his position in connection with rape allegations brought against him by a 19-year-old intern, during a hearing in Boise.
TribLIVE s Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.
Idaho Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger resigns after intern accusing him of rape testifies before ethics panel
April 30, 2021 / 6:28 AM / AP
An Idaho state lawmaker accused of rape by a 19-year-old legislative intern has resigned after an ethics committee found he should be formally censured. The investigation into Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger began in March after a young staffer reported he raped her in his apartment after the two had dinner at a Boise restaurant.
Von Ehlinger has denied all wrongdoing and maintains he had consensual sexual contact with the young woman. He resigned Thursday after an ethics committee unanimously agreed that he engaged in behavior unbecoming and recommended that he be suspended without pay for the rest of the legislative session.