Stalking case against incoming Kansas Rep. Aaron Coleman dismissed by mutual agreement
A stalking case filed by a campaign worker against incoming Kansas Rep. Aaron Coleman, a Kansas City, Kansas, Democrat, has been dismissed after both sides agreed to treat each other with “dignity and respect.”
Brandie Armstrong, a campaign manager for former Kansas Rep. Stan Frownfelter, whom Coleman defeated in a Democratic primary last year, had accused Coleman of sending her harassing messages, coming to her home twice and seeking to have her evicted. Wyandotte County Judge Kate Lynch issued a no-contact order against Coleman in December while the case was pending.
Armstrong’s attorney Barry Grissom said in a statement to The Star that there was no written agreement but rather a promise to “treat each other with dignity and respect.”
“Brandie Armstrong and Aaron Coleman are passionate about helping their constituents,” the statement said. “In service to their constituents, they have resolved a civil case by an agreed upon dismissal.”
Coleman, who has faced a series of accusations about abusive treatment of women, posted an identical statement on social media.
On Wednesday, a GoFundMe was created for Coleman to “counter-sue” the Democratic Party. The fundraising page said two lawyers told him Armstrong’s claims have “no basis” and sought $25,000 to counter-sue “Democratic Party insiders running their smear campaign in an attempt to oust him without any real evidence to support their claims.”
By Thursday morning, the fund had not raised any money.
Reached by phone, Coleman said Thursday, “It is time for a return of civility,” adding later that “it is time to get to work and I am ready to focus on governing.”
Armstrong’s allegations were the latest in a string of controversies that prompted seven incoming Kansas House Democrats — all women — to call for Coleman’s resignation and that he face “accountability for violence against women.”
Coleman has admitted to some of the allegations made against him of abusive behavior toward women. Those include obtaining a nude photo of a teenage girl when he was 12 and threatening to circulate it to others if she didn’t send him more, as well as a separate later incident in which another girl said Coleman bullied her to the point that she attempted suicide.
Coleman has apologized in those instances and has claimed that he’s since worked to grow as a person.
Yet Coleman’s troubling behavior has persisted more recently. An ex-girlfriend accused Coleman of choking and slapping her in December 2019. Coleman said he was abusive toward his ex-girlfriend but said her allegations mischaracterized the situation and denied choking her.
Coleman, who ran on a liberal campaign plank, tweeted late last year that Gov. Laura Kelly would face an “extremely bloody” Democratic primary in 2022 that that “people will realize one day when I call a hit on you it’s real,” summoning violent imagery. Coleman deleted the tweet and said he shouldn’t have used the word “hit.”
A Kelly spokesperson said at the time Coleman was unfit to serve in the Kansas Legislature.
According to the Associated Press, Kansas House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer cited the Armstrong case as a reason to deny the 20-year-old Coleman committee assignments and to consider expulsion from the House when it begins meeting for the 2021 session next week.
Coleman said he had no indication Thursday whether House Democratic leadership was still considering those measures.
“I’m not even sure if they’ve heard this morning’s news,” Coleman said. “I’m sure we’ll find out soon.”
Joseph Le, chief of staff for Sawyer, said Sawyer had no comments about Thursday’s developments.
“It is our understanding that there still may be a complaint filed against the Representative-Elect of House District 37 (Coleman), and therefore, he has not been given any committee assignments at this time,” Le said in an email to The Star.
This story was originally published January 7, 2021 at 12:41 PM with the headline "Stalking case against incoming Kansas Rep. Aaron Coleman dismissed by mutual agreement."
