Sen. Dan McKeon faces Class II misdemeanor allegation by woman attending gathering
By:Erin Bamer
Nebraska Examiner
LINCOLN — State Sen. Dan McKeon of Amherst was cited this week for misdemeanor “public indecency” stemming from an incident at lawmakers’ end-of-session party this spring, according to the Nebraska State Patrol.
Patrol investigators cited him after investigating an allegation by a woman attending a sine die party often attended by staff, family and friends of legislators, Patrol Public Relations Director Cody Thomas confirmed first to the Examiner.
The Patrol received a report in early September about an alleged incident in the evening hours of May 29 at Lincoln Country Club. That is the same time and location that lawmakers attended the first of two post-legislative session sine die parties.
“An adult female reported that Dan McKeon had made inappropriate contact with her buttocks with his hand, over the top of her clothing,” Thomas said in response to a reporter’s questions about the incident.
Thomas said the State Patrol issued McKeon a citation for public indecency — a Class II misdemeanor — Thursday. The allegation was forwarded to Lancaster County Attorney Pat Condon’s office, which had no immediate comment.
McKeon, reached in person just before an Agriculture Committee hearing on Friday, told the Examiner: “I’m not going to respond.”
“Just like anything else, you just shut your mouth,” McKeon said.
Kathleen Neary, the attorney representing the woman making the allegations, said her client is grateful to the Nebraska State Patrol for conducting a swift and thorough investigation.
Additionally, Neary said her client plans to file an administrative charge with the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission (NEOC). The NEOC filing is an administrative prerequisite to filing a lawsuit against the state under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
While Neary is hopeful that the matter could be resolved without a lawsuit, she noted that, if necessary, she will sue and ask the jury for a verdict that vindicates and compensates her client for the harms that she has suffered.
McKeon is a registered Republican who was elected to the officially nonpartisan Nebraska Legislature in 2024, replacing former State Sen. Fred Meyer of St. Paul. McKeon’s biographical page on the Nebraska Legislature’s website highlights that he has been married for 30 years and has four children.
During his first session in office, McKeon passed two bills to ease agricultural regulations and has another bill pending that aims to protect veterans from “predatory claim sharks.”
The Examiner is not naming the woman making the allegation, because it is the policy of States Newsroom and the Examiner not to identify people who say they have been abused unless they wish to talk publicly.
People around the Capitol have been talking for months about an alleged incident involving someone who works for the Legislature.
Democrat State Sen. John Fredrickson of Omaha said he is “anxiously awaiting” the results of the State Patrol’s investigation. He confirmed that lawmakers have been aware of the incident behind the scenes for some time and said it’s been a “concern” among him and other senators.
“This type of behavior is really egregious,” Fredrickson said.
On Oct. 20, State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha — a progressive nonpartisan — posted on social media in response to a comment criticizing her that the Legislature doesn’t “have an ‘ethics committee,’ and if we did, my colleague who grabbed a staffers ass at an event a few months ago would have resigned already.”
Hunt, in a separate post on Friday, called elected office “a public trust” and said it should not be “a shield for misconduct.” She called on McKeon to resign and said the Legislature should also be held accountable for “sweeping” the incident “under the rug.”
“My colleague Senator McKeon — or ‘Dirty Dan,’ as he calls himself — should have resigned from this office, which I never observed him to represent with dignity or professionalism, long ago,” Hunt said in a Facebook post.
“Dirty Dan” is likely a reference to “Dirty Dan’s Barn Bash,” a Sept. 27 fundraiser McKeon touted in the midst of the State Patrol investigation.
As of mid-afternoon Friday, no resignation letters from a member of the Legislature had been received by the legislative or executive offices that would expect them.
Gov. Jim Pillen, through a spokesperson, had no immediate comment.
Republican Speaker John Arch, through a staffer, referred questions to Republican State Sen. Ben Hansen of the Legislature’s Executive Board, which investigates allegations of wrongdoing against members.
Hansen neither confirmed nor denied whether the Executive Board was separately investigating the incident. He said he could not disclose details because of a strict confidentiality standard, but added, “The Legislature handles all incidents of workplace harassment with the utmost respect and importance.”
Republican State Sen. Teresa Ibach of Sumner, vice chair of the Executive Board, confirmed that members of the committee are looking into the situation separately from the criminal investigation, but she said the group hasn’t yet reached a conclusion.
McKeon is expected in Lancaster County Court Dec. 10, authorities said.
McKeon faced court proceedings earlier this year on an unrelated civil case. The senator was named in a lawsuit filed in April by Kaup Produce Inc. The company sued McKeon for breach of contract, alleging McKeon did not pay for more than $18,000 worth of seed and other agricultural products the company provided him.
The case was closed on July 7, according to Nebraska’s judicial website. The case summary says the case “was disposed as uncontested default,” indicating that an agreement had been reached between the parties.
Nebraska Examiner Reporters Zach Wendling and Juan Salinas II contributed to this report.