Kansas Rep. Aaron Coleman arrested on domestic violence charge by Overland Park police
Update: Aaron Coleman on Monday was charged with misdemeanor domestic battery in Johnson County.
Kansas Rep. Aaron Coleman, who has a history of alleged abusive behavior, was arrested Saturday night on a charge of domestic battery.
Overland Park police took Coleman into custody at 8:15 p.m. Saturday and he was booked into the Johnson County Jail at 12:45 a.m. Sunday, according to jail records.
Coleman’s arrest prompted new calls for his resignation.
The 21-year-old Democratic lawmaker has been accused multiple times of inappropriate behavior, including by a former girlfriend who said he slapped and choked her. The circumstances of Saturday’s arrest weren’t immediately known.
Coleman appeared to remain in custody as of Sunday afternoon, according to jail records. A call to his phone went unanswered. He is set to appear in court at 1:30 p.m. Monday.
The episode led to fresh demands for Coleman’s resignation on Sunday. House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer, a Wichita Democrat, called the developments “extremely disturbing news.”
“We are watching closely to make sure we gather all the facts. His constituents and the State of Kansas would be better served if he were to resign and get the help he badly needs,” Sawyer said in a statement. “However, I want to reiterate again that the House Democratic Caucus does not condone this behavior in any way, shape, or form.”
The freshman lawmaker already faced a legislative inquiry earlier this year over allegations of inappropriate behavior, but the investigating committee ultimately issued only an informal letter of warning that amounted to a mild reprimand. At the time, lawmakers involved in the inquiry noted that the alleged behavior had occurred before he was elected.
Just months later, Coleman now faces allegations of criminal behavior while in office.
House Speaker Ron Ryckman, an Olathe Republican, said that given what little information is known, “I am concerned for everyone involved.”
“I know that law enforcement will thoroughly investigate and assess the situation so that we can take appropriate action,” Ryckman said in a statement.
Coleman broke into Kansas politics in 2020 with an upset primary defeat of Rep. Stan Frownfelter in Kansas City, Kansas. Allegations of abusive behavior were made public, but Coleman, running in a heavily Democratic district, faced no Republican opponent on the ballot.
He ran as a left-wing candidate, supporting progressive policies that have virtually no chance of advancing in the Republican-controlled Legislature. But since before his election, accusations of personal misconduct and episodes of bizarre behavior have dominated the attention paid to him, turning him into a quasi-outcast in the House.
Earlier in October, the Kansas Department of Labor warned Coleman to stay away from its Topeka headquarters after the agency said he repeatedly tried to gain access to employee-only parts of the building.
But the most serious concerns about Coleman have often centered on his behavior in relationships, in particular his relationships with women. Before Coleman took office in early 2021, seven incoming Democratic legislators -- all women -- called on him to resign. They demanded Coleman face “accountability for violence against women.”
Coleman has previously been under a temporary order not to communicate with the former campaign manager of a political opponent, who had said Coleman sent her harassing messages, came to her home twice and tried to get her evicted. A former staff member in Sawyer’s office has also described threats Coleman made against her and that he had called her and threatened physical violence against Sawyer before the election.
Coleman has previously tweeted that Gov. Laura Kelly would face an “extremely bloody” Democratic primary. “People will realize one day when I call a hit out on you it’s real,” he tweeted. He later deleted the tweet.
Coleman has rejected previous calls for his resignation. But if he were to resign, Democratic precinct committee members in his district -- House District 37 -- would choose his replacement.
The process for forcefully removing Coleman from the House is potentially arduous. Any legislator can file a complaint to trigger an investigation. The investigating committee could recommend the House censure or expel Coleman. Expelling Coleman would then take a two-thirds vote of the House.
Coleman is the third Kansas legislator to face allegations of criminal conduct this year. Rep. Mark Samsel, a Wellsville Republican, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after he allegedly kicked a student in the groin while substitute teaching. And Sen. Gene Suellentrop, a Wichita Republican, drove the wrong way down I-70 in Topeka while drunk. He pleaded guilty in October to driving under the influence and reckless driving.
“More information should be gathered and then we should ascertain what action needs to be taken at that point and then when we have made that decision on how to move forward I hope that the majority party moves with us.” Rep. Stephanie Clayton, an Overland Park Democrat, said.
“There really has been a rash of inappropriate behavior from legislators in a bipartisan, bicameral situation and no one’s going to trust us, and they shouldn’t until we start holding people accountable in the same way that we would hold other people.”
This story was originally published October 31, 2021 at 12:29 PM.
