Ex-lawmaker returns to public role after scandals

CALDWELL (AP) - A former Idaho lawmaker is returning to the public eye after a pair of highly publicized scandals two years ago prompted him to resign.

The Idaho Press-Tribune reports that former GOP state Sen. John McGee is now serving as chairman of the Downtown Caldwell Organization in southwestern Idaho. The group focuses on revitalizing downtown Caldwell to attract businesses.

"A lot of people make mistakes," McGee told the newspaper Friday. "Mine was different in the fact that it was so public."

McGee quit the legislature amid sexual harassment allegations in 2012. A female staffer accused the married lawmaker of propositioning her for sex and subjecting her to unwanted sexual advances.

McGee stepped down before the Idaho Senate ethics committee could conduct an investigation. He later pleaded guilty to disturbing the peace, a charge Idaho state police said stemmed from the sexual misconduct allegations, and served 39 days in jail.

The accusation was preceded by a 2011 Father's Day arrest on drunken driving charges after police pulled him over in a car that didn't belong to him after a night of drinking at a golf tournament in Boise. He pleaded guilty, had his license suspended and was ordered to pay a fine and restitution for damage to the vehicle.

After two years out of the spotlight, McGee says his local community has been supportive as he returns to a public seat.

"No one has condoned what I did," McGee said. "Everyone was disappointed. But what I've seen is this tremendous amount of grace shown by people."

McGee was first elected to the Idaho Senate in 2004. Considered a rising star, he became the caucus chair in 2011 after serving four terms. He was a member of the board of trustees at The College of Idaho as well as a marketing director at a southwest Idaho hospital but lost both positions after the sexual harassment accusation surfaced.

His political fall gave him more time to spend with his wife and two children, McGee said.

"I felt like I had nothing more to lose by giving him a second chance," his wife, Hanna, said.

He said his new position is not part of a larger strategy to return to political office.

Instead, McGee said he was hesitant to accept the position as chairman of the association because he feared it would take away from his public relations and marketing business.

"The path forward is just serving one day at a time," he said. "Serving God, and serving the community. I don't get too worried about the future."