Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY
P. 6
A6
U.S. NEWSWednesday 10 January 2018
Ex-Idaho lawmaker facing abuse inquiry kills himself Former ‘cocaine
cowboy’ on trial in
By KIMBERLEE KRUESI In this 2013 photo, state Rep. Brandon A. Hixon, R-Caldwell, looks on at the statehouse in Boise, auto fraud case
Associated Press
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A for- Idaho. The former Idaho Republican state lawmaker, who was under investigation for possible By CURT ANDERSON
mer Republican state law- AP Legal Affairs Writer
maker from Idaho who sexual abuse, died in an apparent suicide, according to authorities on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018. MIAMI (AP) — A pilot who
was facing a sexual abuse once flew tons of drugs for
investigation has shot and (Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman/AP) Colombian cartels during
killed himself, authorities Miami’s “cocaine cow-
said Tuesday. becoming one of the or resisting arrest last month. port those who are close boys” era went on trial
Brandon Hixon was found Tuesday in an auto fraud
dead of a self-inflicted gun- youngest lawmakers to win Hixon, who got a divorce to us when they are strug- case, with his attorney in-
shot wound to the head in sisting prosecutors can’t
his home early Tuesday, a seat in the Idaho House of from his wife in 2016, is sur- gling,” Bedke said. “Please prove he knew anything il-
Canyon County Coroner legal was going on.
Vicki DeGeus-Morris said. A Representatives. He didn’t vived by his four children, remember Brandon’s fam- Attorney Rick Yabor told
family member discovered jurors in an opening state-
his body. stand out during his time ages 6 to 17. ily in your prayers.” ment there’s little evidence
Officials have released no that Mickey Munday creat-
details about the criminal in the Statehouse until he Across the country, sexual Bedke later said the House ed or dealt with the fraud-
investigation into Hixon, 36, ulent paperwork used in
except that it was related abruptly resigned in Octo- harassment allegations will likely organize financial the scheme to essentially
to possible sexual abuse. steal more than 150 cars
Records obtained by The ber after the sexual abuse have surfaced in govern- help for Hixon’s family but between 2008 and 2015.
Associated Press show that “All he was doing was
he was previously the focus investigation emerged. ment, entertainment and that it was too early to say transporting cars,” Yabor
of a separate police inves- said. “What they’re going
tigation in 2014 after being “I hope that my efforts have business, leading to resig- what exactly was planned. to feed you is a ghost story.
accused of inappropriate And just like those ghost
touching. helped improve the lives of nations and policy chang- Other lawmakers also of- stories, it’s going to be full
At the time, Hixon denied of holes.” Munday, 72,
the accusations and told my constituents in District es. In Idaho, legislative fered condolences. spent most of the 1990s in
police he was worried they prison after pleading guilty
would harm his political 10, as well as all Idahoans,” leaders are expected to “I wish I had followed the to drug smuggling charges
career. It’s unknown if the involving tons of cocaine
new investigation, ongoing Hixon wrote in his resigna- unveil in the 2018 legislative promptings I received and from Pablo Escobar’s Me-
since Oct. 5, was connect- dellin cartel and also the
ed to the earlier case. tion letter. “I will never for- session new policies for re- called with words of kind- Cali cartel during the
The attorney general’s of- 1980s. He frequently brags
fice was overseeing the in- get all of my colleagues porting sexual misconduct ness and encouragement,” about his exploits in media
vestigation but declined to interviews, social media
comment Tuesday. that I very much enjoyed for lawmakers, lobbyists, Republican state Rep. Bry- posts and in a starring role
Hixon’s death comes after in the 2006 documentary
Kentucky lawmaker Dan working side by side with to staffers and other aides. an Zollinger said in a tweet. “Cocaine Cowboys.”
Johnson shot and killed “If it flies, rolls or floats, I can
himself last year after a re- make Idaho a better place Idaho House Speaker Scott “Reminder to us all to love drive it,” Munday has often
port was published detail- said.
ing allegations that he sex- for all.” Bedke announced Hixon’s one another despite differ- This time he’s looking at
ually assaulted a 17-year- up to 20 years in prison if
old girl in his basement in After stepping down, Hix- suicide to lawmakers dur- ences of opinion.” convicted on each of six
2013. He had denied the counts of mail fraud and
accusations. on was arrested twice for ing Tuesday’s floor session. Others said they were conspiracy. Assistant U.S.
Hixon was elected in 2012, Attorney Anne McNa-
drunken driving and was The House chaplain led a shocked by Hixon’s mara told jurors Munday
was deeply involved in the
charged with misdemean- prayer. “We should sup- death.q scheme and was brought
aboard in part because
A teacher in handcuffs has a school under scrutiny of his well-known past as a
smuggler.
By KEVIN McGILL English teacher Deyshia responds. Hargrave later despite objections from the “He brags about his ability
Associated Press Hargrave complying with bonded out of the Ab- audience. “She was recog- to take advantage of law
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A a city marshal’s orders to beville jail on charges of nized!” several people said. enforcement’s weakness-
Louisiana teacher was leave Monday night’s Ver- “remaining after being for- “This is the most disgraceful es,” she said.
removed from a school milion Parish School Board bidden” and resisting an and distasteful thing I have Prosecution evidence in-
board meeting, forcibly meeting in Abbeville, west officer, according to KATC. ever seen,” another audi- cludes a videotaped in-
handcuffed and jailed af- of New Orleans. Next, she The station reported that ence member said as Har- terview between Munday
ter questioning pay policies is seen on the hallway floor, board president Anthony grave made her way out. and a police detective
during a public comment screaming as the marshal Fontana had ruled Har- Women have several that McNamara said he
period. The teacher’s union handcuffs her behind her grave out of order for ask- times been told to leave gave voluntarily so he
and the ACLU are inves- back. ing questions during a time meetings, while men who could find out what inves-
tigating and two board “Stop resisting,” the mar- reserved for public com- speak out have not been tigators knew about the
members are complaining shal says, hustling Hargrave ment. Later in the same removed, board mem- scheme. In it, she said, he
that the board treats wom- toward an exit after lifting meeting, she spoke again ber Laura LeBeouf told appears to admit knowing
en unfairly. her to her feet. in response to a question The Associated Press in a about the fraud.q
A video posted by KATC- “I am not, you just pushed from the board, and was telephone interview on
TV shows middle-school me to the floor,” Hargrave confronted by the marshal Tuesday.q
