Rod Hamilton

Overview

Minnesota Republican state Representative Rod Hamilton was accused in April 2018 of unwanted sexual touching by a constituent who had approached him as an advocate for sexual-assault victims. He was suspended from his Agriculture Finance Committee chairmanship; a $38,000 House investigation was ultimately inconclusive. (Note: this entry had incorrectly listed Hamilton as a Wisconsin legislator.)

Description

The accuser, who worked as an advocate for sexual-assault victims, said she had reached out to Hamilton in 2018 to discuss her own experience. During a snowstorm on April 13, 2018, Hamilton allegedly invited her back to his apartment near the Capitol, where he ‘stroked her hair, traced her ear with his finger, kissed her cheek, and held her hands and hugged her,’ saying ‘I felt trapped.’ Hamilton ‘categorically’ denied the sexual-assault allegation. Prosecutors declined criminal charges citing insufficient evidence. The Minnesota House suspended Hamilton from his Agriculture Finance Committee chair and spent $38,000 on an investigation; its summary conclusion, released nine months later, was inconclusive and the full report was not made public.