TOPEKA, Kan. (WDAF) — Democratic Kansas State Rep. Aaron Coleman, who made headlines last year for admitting to blackmail and revenge porn, said Tuesday he is leaving his political party. His announcement comes the same day Kansas House Democrats filed a complaint against Coleman, saying he’s unfit to serve.
Kansas House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer and other legislators seek to expel Coleman amid a string of accusations made against him. Sawyer said the complaints, all of which are made by females, indicate a trend that suggests the 20-year-old Coleman should not serve as an elected official.
“It’s been an ongoing thing for many years. We don’t think he belongs in the Kansas legislature. The hope is that he’ll be removed,” Sawyer said Tuesday.
Coleman has admitted that when he was 14-year-old, he engaged in revenge porn against a female classmate in middle school. That was 2014. Five years later, Coleman admitted to abusing an ex-girlfriend.
Shortly after winning the election in November, Coleman took to Twitter, threatening to “order a hit” on Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly. Since taking office, a staffer working for former Rep. Stan Frownfelter, Coleman’s political opponent, filed a stalking complaint against Coleman.
Coleman said this is merely a political move against him, and because of it, he’s choosing to leave the Democratic Party and become an Independent.
Coleman, who won his election at age 19, was one of a number of new politicians to take the oath of office Monday. He isn’t permitted on the House floor while votes are taken, and he doesn’t have an office at the Kansas State Capitol.
“This is nothing more than retaliation against my voters for their making the poor decision of not re-electing corporate Democrat Frownfelter to an eighth term,” Coleman said.
Coleman alleged House Democrats are plotting to remove him in effort to restore Frownfelter to his former position.
This effort to oust Coleman could result in a reprimand. The House will form a bipartisan committee to review Coleman’s case. A two-thirds majority vote would be needed to remove him from his seat in Topeka.
