Prosecutor: Assault case against Kentucky lawmaker continues despite wife’s request
The wife of a Kentucky state representative indicted on charges of strangulation and assault released a statement Monday saying she never wanted him criminally charged.
Kentucky state Rep. Robert Goforth was charged in April after a woman, who at that time had not been named, arrived at a 9-1-1 dispatch center saying she’d been assaulted by Goforth. She told police that he had tried to hogtie her and strangled her with an ethernet cable to the point she thought she was going to pass out, according to Goforth’s arrest citation. She had marks on her forehead, neck, arms and leg.
Goforth’s wife, Ashley Goforth, released a statement Monday saying she and her husband had reconciled.
“Robert and I both deeply regret the incident that occurred last April. We were reconciled within days after it happened, and we have lived together at our home with our children since that time,” Ashley Goforth said in the statement. “It was my strong desire that my husband not be charged with any offenses, and I formally communicated that to the commonwealth’s attorney and grand jury in Laurel County.”
Despite what Ashley Goforth said she told the grand jury, it indicted her husband earlier this month.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Jackie Steele said that while his office does take into account statements and requests from victims, they do not ultimately dictate the office’s decisions. As of Tuesday there was no intention to dismiss the charges against Robert Goforth, Steele said.
Ashley Goforth called Robert Goforth a loving husband and father who “goes above and beyond for his family” in the statement Monday.
“We have both sought spiritual and family counseling as we continue to work on our personal issues as a married couple,” Ashley Goforth said. “It has been a difficult year, but we are thankful for the grace and compassion of a loving God. It has sustained us.“
Robert Goforth is up for re-election to represent the 89th District, which serves Jackson County and parts of Madison and Laurel counties.
Robert Goforth, a Republican, previously ran to replace Matt Bevin on the ballot in the state’s most recent election for governor, and during that race, he was accused of sexual assault by a woman he was previously in a relationship. She accused him of physically forcing her to perform sex acts on another man. He denied the allegation, calling it “categorically false.”
This story was originally published September 28, 2020 at 5:21 PM.
