A Republican Minnesota state Senate candidate who was endorsed by GOP leaders was arrested and charged with domestic assault in 2009 after his former fiancée told authorities he had slammed a car door on her legs and strangled her until she lost consciousness, The Minnesota Star Tribune reported on Monday.
Court filings show that Aaron Brutger was charged with one felony count of domestic assault by strangulation and one misdemeanor count of domestic assault, according to The Star Tribune. He was 26 at the time.
He later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct in a plea agreement and received a suspended sentence of 90 days, which were dropped under the condition he stay out of trouble for a year, pay a $50 fine, and attend counseling — conditions he met, court documents show.
Brutger, who is now 42, is running for the state’s Senate District 13 seat — which has been Republican-held for more than 20 years, The Star Tribune reported. It’s unclear if Republican Party leaders or delegates were aware of the previous charges before giving him an endorsement.
Court documents revealed details surrounding the arrest on Dec. 30, 2009. In a criminal complaint filed in Stearns County District Court, Brutger’s ex-fiancée said that she was living with Brutger and their two children when they had argued over gas money. She had apparently gone to her car to see how much fuel she had in the tank when Brutger followed her and she said he pushed her into the car and slammed the car door on her legs. She said he then dragged her by her jacket back inside the home.
According to the report, she said he told her “he was going to kill her” and “she was afraid because he’s pulled a gun on her in the past.”
“The woman said that when she told Brutger she was going to call the police, he ‘stood behind her and put his arm around her throat and began squeezing,’” according to The Star Tribune. “She said she ‘blacked out and fell to the floor on a pile of clothes.’”
She called her father, who then called 911 and reported it.
Brutger called the incident an “incredibly difficult and painful chapter for our family,” in a statement to the outlet.
“I agreed to plead guilty to disorderly conduct; I only did this so I could move on and make sure my children were safe,” he said.
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