Democrat Who Won Despite Sexual Misconduct Charges and Death Threats Hit With Restraining Order

Kansas State Rep.-elect Aaron Coleman (D) will join the Kansas Legislature in January. But, first, he has a court date to determine if an anti-stalking order against him shall remain in place.

It isn’t Coleman’s first scandal, either.

During the campaign, the 20-year-old admitted to publicly posting nude images of young girls without their permission. He also admitted to “slapp[ing] and chok[ing]” an ex-girlfriend. Despite the uproar, Coleman stayed in the race and won 66% of the vote.

Yet this past week, a Wyandotte County Judge slapped Coleman with an anti-stalking order. The court order came after his primary opponent’s campaign manager, Brandie Armstrong, presented evidence that Coleman threatened her, going so far as to try to get her evicted. He previously threatened Kansas’ Democrat Gov. Laura Kelly and years before said he’d shoot another high schooler before committing suicide.

The Washington Free Beacon adds:

Coleman faces a video hearing on Dec. 16 that will determine if Judge Lynch’s ban stays in place. Despite Coleman’s admission that he published revenge porn, his veiled death threat against Kansas’s Democratic governor, and his sexual harassment of teen girls, he won his November election.

Coleman hopes to reverse the ban because it impedes his ability to attend political meetings. Outside of his district, he’s receiving little public support from Kansas Democrats, as the Topeka Capitol-Journal explains:

Kelly and the House’s top Democrat, Minority Leader Tom Sawyer, already had described Coleman as being unfit to serve. Coleman posted tweets immediately after the November election criticizing Kelly, including a later-deleted one that said, “People will realize one day when I call a hit out on you it’s real.” He said later that he meant to use the phrase “political hit.”

Coleman was charged in May 2015 with a felony count of making a criminal threat against a high school student but later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of harassment. A police arrest report and investigative summary from the incident said Coleman threatened to go to a girl’s high school, shoot her and turn the gun on himself.

…

Sawyer had said Democrats likely would seek to oust Coleman once he was sworn in by forcing a House vote on expelling him. But Sawyer said Tuesday that House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr. discouraged such a move because it would involve conduct before Coleman took office.

During the election, Coleman also ridiculed former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain following his death from coronavirus and urged Republicans to do everything possible to contract Covid-19.

AAN Staff