BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Former Republican state Sen. John McGee will plead guilty to misdemeanor charges linked to sexual harassment allegations that resulted in his February departure from the Idaho Legislature, according to a newspaper report.
McGee is due in 4th District Court in Boise on Aug. 21.
The Idaho Statesman on Wednesday cited court documents indicating McGee will plead guilty to disturbing the peace and a probation violation.
According to the documents, a prosecutor told Magistrate Judge James Cawthon that McGee made "sexually provocative" comments to a Senate aide, resulting in her being "unhappy, tearful and crying often."
Before he quit on Feb. 22 under the threat of a Senate Ethics Committee investigation, McGee was the fourth-ranking state senator as the GOP majority caucus chairman.
McGee, from Caldwell, was arrested on Father's Day 2011 after driving drunk in a stranger's car.
Car theft charges were dropped, but according to the terms of a plea deal, he had to avoid renewed problems with the law until July 1, a provision that resulted in the probation violation charge Tuesday.
Deputy Ada County prosecutor Jean Fisher said in Cawthon's courtroom Tuesday that McGee had become "sexually provocative" toward a female employee.
The incident occurred Feb. 7, according to court records that allege McGee "did willfully and maliciously disturb the peace or quiet of a person" when he "used profane and offensive language and/or offensive conduct."
At first, the employee told only her mother about what happened. Co-workers then noticed the employee appeared "unhappy, tearful, and crying often" and asked her what was wrong, Fisher told Cawthon.
That eventually led to an Idaho State Police investigation, court records said.
Senate officials said in February that another legislative employee brought the woman's account to Senate leaders. They confronted McGee, who resigned just hours before news of the investigation became public.
Fisher said Tuesday that Senate leaders who talked to McGee later told Idaho State Police investigators that McGee "said he knew he had a problem."
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Information from: Idaho Statesman, http://www.idahostatesman.com
