Rep. Robert Goforth was charged after a woman named 911 alleged he attacked her when there were three children in the house in April 2020.
FRANKFORT, Ky. – A petition has been filed to indict an eastern Kentucky legislature on charges of strangulation and assault.
The petition filed on January 13th sought the impeachment of Rep. Robert Goforth for “offense in office” accusing him of abuse of office, financial misconduct and “criminal acts of violence against women.”
Goforth was charged after a woman named 911 alleged he attacked her when there were three children in the house in April 2020.
The woman claimed that Goforth strangled her with an ethernet cable and said he would kill her. The Laurel County sheriff’s office said MPs found visible marks on the forehead, neck, arms and legs.
Goforth pleaded not guilty to the charges.
“The Commonwealth requires its elected officials to be persons of good moral character and conduct,” the petition reads. “It is wrong for this representative to sit in the chamber and be paid for his services with our hard-earned taxpayers’ money.”
The petition also claims that Goforth sent a mailer to voters across the district allegedly using words written by his spouse, with no disclaimer or notice he paid for. The petitioners alleged that the mailer was “a clear and obvious attempt … to use a plea from his abused spouse to influence the judge and prosecutor”.
The Republican, who represents District 89, has been in the house since 2018. He previously ran against former governor Matt Bevin in the 2019 primary.
The Kentucky Democratic Party urged Goforth to resign after the indictments, saying the allegations were not the first against Goforth. A Pulaski County woman claimed Goforth attacked her, claiming he denied it during his main campaign.
The House has assigned the petition to the same committee that will investigate a petition indicting Governor Andy Beshear.
RELATED: Kentucky House Forms Committee To Examine Petition Charging Andy Beshear
RELATED: House Debates 2nd Trump Impeachment After Capitol Siege
► Make it easy to keep up to date on more stories like this one. Download the WHAS11 News App now. To the Apple or Android User.
Do you have a news tip? E-mail [email protected], visit our Facebook site or Twitter feed.
Comments are closed.