Arrest warrant issued for former Sen. John McGee
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) ― Arrest warrants for former Idaho Republican state Sen. John McGee were issued after prosecutors charged him with misdemeanor disturbing the peace and violating probation terms for a 2011 DUI conviction. The warrants were issued Tuesday in 4th District Court against McGee, who resigned from the Idaho Senate in February amid allegations that he sexually harassed an employee. McGee didn't return a phone call Tuesday. According to the complaint, McGee is charged with disturbing the peace on Feb. 7. Prosecutors say he used profane and offensive language and/or offensive conduct in the presence of an unidentified victim during the 2012 Legislature. He's also charged violating his misdemeanor DUI probation. He was convicted last year after a drunken Father's Day incident in which he drove a stranger's car pulling a trailer, jacknifing it in a nearby yard. Click below for a full report from AP reporter John Miller; you can read the Ada County Prosecutor's office news release here.
Judge issues arrest warrants for ex-Idaho senator
By JOHN MILLER, Associated Press
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A judge issued arrest warrants Tuesday for former Idaho Republican state Sen. John McGee after he was charged with disturbing the peace and violating probation terms from a 2011 DUI conviction.
The Caldwell Republican resigned from the Idaho Senate in February amid allegations that he sexually harassed an employee. McGee was the Senate majority caucus chairman.
McGee was charged with disturbing the peace, after he was accused of using profane and offensive language and/or offensive conduct in the presence of an unidentified person on Feb. 7.
"The new charge is based on criminal conduct that occurred in the former senator's office during the 2012 legislative session," Ada County Prosecutor Greg Bower said in a release.
McGee also was accused of violating probation for his misdemeanor DUI.
He was convicted last year after a Father's Day incident in which he drove a car that didn't belong to him. His unsupervised supervision was due to expire July 1.
Magistrate Judge James Cawthon, who oversaw McGee's legal proceedings last year when felony car-theft charges were dropped in exchange for a guilty plea in the DUI, is handling the latest case.
Deputy prosecuting attorney Roger Bourne said McGee's attorney, Scott McKay, has been in contact with the prosecutor's office on efforts to resolve the case. McKay didn't return a call Tuesday.
Following McGee's resignation on Feb. 22, the Idaho State Police conducted a lengthy investigation into McGee's conduct before forwarding their findings to Bower's office in April. McGee, who had survived a confidence vote of senators following the DUI conviction, quit after he was given the choice of facing a Senate Ethics Committee hearing or stepping down.
Prosecutors have asked Cawthon to consolidate the new criminal charge and probation violation charge for plea and sentencing. A court date hasn't been set.
A $1,000 bond was set on each of McGee's charges.
Senators who served with McGee during his four terms were just learning of the criminal charge on Tuesday.
Senate President Pro Tem Brent Hill, who in February suggested involving police in the matter after learning of the unidentified victim's complaint, said he was interviewed by investigators in recent weeks. Hill declined to describe the nature of the allegations against McGee, saying he'd been cautioned by the Idaho attorney general not to discuss the case until it was completed.
"I know some of the accusations that were made, but I really don't know what was substantiated," said Hill, R-Rexburg.
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AP reporter Todd Dvorak contributed to this story.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
