Senator Dan McKeon, (Nebraska Legislature, Courtesy)
LINCOLN — The Nebraska Legislature made a report open to the public which detailed an investigation into the conduct of District 41 Senator Dan McKeon, for which he is charged with disturbing the peace.
A resolution was also introduced on Wednesday, Jan. 7 to expel the senator from Amherst as early as next week.
McKeon been charged with disturbing the peace, a Class 3 misdemeanor, related to allegations of his actions at a party following the end of the legislative session in the spring.
McKeon is accused of grabbing a woman’s buttocks over her clothes and making inappropriate sexual jokes.
McKeon’s legal counsel submitted a written plea of not guilty on Dec. 16. A new hearing in the case has been set for Jan. 26, 2026, at 11 a.m.
Recently, the Executive Board of the Nebraska Legislature voted 8-0 to recommend expelling McKeon from his position.
“After reviewing the circumstances, the Executive Board concluded that the decision was necessary in light of a demonstrated pattern of behavior by Senator McKeon,” the executive board stated in a press release, “The recommendation does not constitute a final action and additional proceedings will follow in accordance with legislative rules and procedures.”
Tara Paulson, attorney with Rembolt Ludtke, in a 15-page report detailed McKeon’s behavior during the alleged incident and what followed.
Following the May 29 incident, McKeon was instructed by the Chair of the Executive Board to have no further contact with the woman involved and to not attend social gatherings where employees were present.
However, the report states that McKeon attended an evening event at the Scottish Rite Temple on June 2, where the woman was present.
McKeon said does not recall being instructed not to attend gatherings where staff are present, but admitted he volunteered not to attend gatherings where staff are present, the report stated.
When asked why he attended this event by the Chair of the Executive Board, “the senator (McKeon) did not have a response,” per the report.
Paulson wrote that, “During my questioning, the senator responded in a joking and noticeably lackadaisical manner, a demeanor that was also observed and commented on by all witnesses interviewed. While it is possible that the senator’s behavior reflected discomfort with the interview process, it is equally plausible that it demonstrated a lack of appreciation for the seriousness of the investigation. The inability to discern whether the senator understood the gravity of the proceeding was, in itself, troubling.”
A legislative resolution, LR282, was introduced on Wednesday and accuses McKeon, of using “unprofessional and inappropriate language to describe colleagues, as well as individuals of other races, in a manner unbecoming of a member of the Nebraska Legislature.”
It also states that McKeon, “has made public statements at various county-level political party events minimizing his actions, claiming “nothing happened,” that it is “not a big deal,” and attributing scrutiny to others being “out to get him,” which further demonstrates a lack of accountability and remorse.”
“To get to a potential expulsion vote, the Legislature will debate whether to suspend its rules requiring a seven-day notice of the hearing Thursday. Thirty votes would be needed to set the rules in order for the hearing to take place on Jan. 12,” Chris Dunker wrote for the Lincoln Journal Star,
“Each senator would have three chances to speak on the matter during a single round of debate. It would take 33 senators to vote to expel McKeon,” Dunker wrote.
