GOP legislator under fire over abuse allegations

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Top Minnesota Democrats are calling for a GOP state legislator to suspend his re-election campaign and for Republicans to expel him from their caucus following a report detailing domestic abuse allegations.

The move comes after the Minnesota Star Tribune published previously unreported court filings detailing several accusations against Rep. Jeff Dotseth, R-Kettle River, who is seeking a second term in the legislature.

In 2008, Dotseth was arrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic assault and he later pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of disorderly conduct. In a sworn affidavit by his ex-wife when filing for divorce, she detailed years of alleged abuse, according to the newspaper, including that he allegedly kicked and choked her in one incident and in another, pinned her against a wall.

The Star Tribune also reported that her son in his own sworn affidavit said he had been hurt in violent incidents, too.

Dotseth in a statement to WCCO denied the allegations.

"More than 15 years ago I went through an extremely difficult divorce and child custody dispute. There were hurtful allegations made against me that I deny, including a sworn affidavit I filed under oath under penalty of perjury," he said. "Ultimately the charge was dismissed and I pled guilty to disorderly conduct. I now have a cordial relationship with my ex-wife, and have worked to put this difficult chapter of my life behind me."

On Tuesday, DFL Party Chair Ken Martin and House Majority Leader Jamie Long said Dotseth should end his campaign and called on House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth to expel him from the GOP caucus.

"No one w ho has engaged repeatedly in domestic violence, child abuse and threats of murder has any business writing the laws that govern our state," Martin said during a news conference at the state capitol.

Both recalled similar allegations against then-DFL Rep. John Thompson, who three years ago faced scrutiny for his behavior during a traffic stop and then soon after, domestic abuse allegations that surfaced from years earlier — also when he was not in elected office Calls for his resignation mounted from all sides of the political spectrum a nd when he did not step down, Democrats removed him from their caucus. He later lost a primary challenge.

"Dotseth's behavior, whether it was yesterday or years ago, was unacceptable and not fitting for an elected representative of our state," Long said. "Being in elected office is a public trust, and this is a significant and severe violation of that public trust."

In a statement to WCCO, Minority Leader Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, did not directly address Martin and Long's demands that she remove Dotseth from her caucus, but called domestic violence "an absolute red line" for her.

"It's never acceptable under any circumstances. This case was resolved through the legal process more than 15 years ago, concluding with no charge or conviction for domestic assault," she said. "I spoke with Rep. Dotseth and he reiterated the contents of what was in his affidavit denying the allegations that were made during the divorce proceedings."

Dotseth is running for his second term in the Minnesota House and these allegations were not publicly known during his first campaign two years ago when he won his North Central Minnesota seat serving Carlton and parts of Pine and St. Louis counties by fewer than 500 votes.

Martin when asked by reporters said that district is a target for Democrats to pick up this cycle in the battle for control of the Minnesota House. Every single legislator in the lower chamber is on the ballot this fall.

"Politics aside here, this really isn't about the election coming up. This is really about again, the responsibility of a caucus who, by the way, when one of our own members was in a similar situation, used that to their advantage to decry—rightfully so— domestic abuse and violence and that it has no place in politics," Martin said.

Dotseth is in a rematch against his DFL challenger from 2022, lawyer Pete Radosevich.