Zach Wendling / Nebraska Examiner
State Senator Dan McKeon of Amherst.
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Erin Bramer
Nebraska Examiner
LINCOLN — State Sen. Dan McKeon of Amherst has been cited for misdemeanor “public indecency” 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 to the Nebraska 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 afternoon. 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 on Friday, told the Examiner: “I’m not going to respond.”
“Just like anything else, you just shut your mouth,” McKeon said.
McKeon was elected to the Nebraska Legislature in 2024, replacing former State Sen. Fred Meyer of St. Paul. McKeon has been married for 30 years and has four children, according to McKeon’s biographical page on the Nebraska Legislature’s website.
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 name people who say they have been abused unless they wish to talk publicly. Her lawyer declined to comment Friday morning.
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 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.”
As of midmorning 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.
Speaker John Arch, through a staffer, referred questions to State Sen. Ben Hansen of the Legislature’s Executive Board, which investigates allegations of wrongdoing against members. Hansen did not immediately return a call or messages seeking comment.
McKeon is expected in Lancaster County Court Dec. 10, authorities said.
