Kentucky legislator indicted on charges that he strangled, assaulted woman
A Kentucky legislator and former gubernatorial candidate has been indicted on charges of assault and strangulation, and the Kentucky Democratic Party is calling for him to resign.
Republican Rep. Robert Goforth was indicted by a Laurel County grand jury on Friday, the Corbin Times-Tribune reported.
Goforth, 44, of East Bernstadt, was arrested April 21, after a woman showed up at the Laurel County 911 dispatch center and said that Goforth had assaulted her with three children in the home at the time.
She said he had used an ethernet cable to strangle her to the point that she said she “had difficulty breathing and thought she was going to pass out,” according to a police uniform citation.
The victim had marks on her forehead, neck and arms and bruising on her leg. She said Goforth had tried several times “to hog tie her,” according to the citation.
The woman told a sheriff’s deputy that she was able to leave after she promised to unlock her phone, which was the issue that “started the altercation,” according to the uniform citation.
The sheriff’s office said they were able to make contact with Goforth at the residence after two attempts, and the children were found safe. Goforth “did not appear to be manifestly under the influence of alcohol or any drug,” the citation states.
He has pleaded not guilty.
Goforth has served in the House of Representatives since 2018. His district, the 89th, covers Jackson County and parts of Laurel and Madison counties.
Goforth ran for governor in the Republican primary last year, opposing then-Gov. Matt Bevin. During his campaign, a woman accused Goforth of sexual assault, which he denied.
The Kentucky Democratic Party issued a news release Friday evening renewing its call for Goforth to resign and calling for Republican leaders to pressure him to do so.
“State Representative Goforth should have resigned back in April and his party should have taken action against him when he refused to do so,” Democratic spokeswoman Marisa McNee said in the release. “This is not the first time a victim of Mr. Goforth’s violent assaults has come forward. Republican Leadership has ignored this for far too long, it is time for them to take action. Goforth needs to go.”
Goforth’s opponent in the November election, Mike VanWinkle, called for him to resign and drop out of the race.
“This district has suffered enough embarrassment and bad press over this affair,” VanWinkle said in a Facebook post. “Mr. Goforth needs to remain focused on his legal case, Domestic Violence issues, and marriage. He can no longer effectively represent the citizens of the 89th District.”
Kentucky House Speaker David Osborne said in April that Republican leadership had just learned of the charges and did “not know the facts related to this case.”
“While we reserve comment on this specific situation, the House Majority Caucus unequivocally denounces any form of domestic violence and has zero tolerance for it or its perpetrators,” Osborne said at the time.
“A society that values human life must also condemn domestic abuse,” he said. “We each have a moral obligation to not only speak out against domestic violence, but also to recognize that domestic abuse knows no boundaries. Its victims and perpetrators come from every income, race, or socioeconomic status.”
Goforth has been endorsed by the Kentucky Educators’ Political Action Committee, according to the organization’s website.
This story was originally published September 18, 2020 at 7:12 PM.
