Top State Democrat Arrested for Allegedly Biting, Attacking Defenseless Woman
The Democrat minority leader of the New Hampshire Senate was arrested Thursday for domestic violence charges that include biting a woman on the arm and forcing his way into her home.
Fifty-three-year-old Sen. Jeff Woodburn was charged with four counts of simple assault, two counts of domestic violence, two counts of criminal mischief and one count of criminal trespassing, according to the Concord Monitor.
The abuse of the victim, identified as an adult female, allegedly began between August 2017 and continued until June 2018, the state attorney general’s office said.
“He is accused of slapping the unidentified woman and punching her in the stomach, as well as biting her once on the hand, and on another occasion, on the forearm,” CBS News reported.
Serving his third term in the Senate, Woodburn is a former chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party.
Several state Democrats have already called for Woodburn’s resignation, including the current party chairman.
“The New Hampshire Democratic Party stands firm in our belief that any form of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or domestic violence is completely unacceptable behavior for anyone, let alone our public officials who should all be held to a higher standard,” New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley said in a statement to the paper.
“We take these accusations against Senator Jeff Woodburn very seriously and stand with his accuser and support her during this unimaginably painful time. We are asking Senator Woodburn to resign from office immediately.:
The state’s governor, Republican Chris Sununu also called for Woodburn to resign.
Despite calls for his resignation, Woodburn has promised to fight the charges in court.
“This afternoon, I learned that a warrant had been issued for my arrest. I voluntarily responded to the police station, cooperated with law enforcement during the booking process, and was released,” he said. “I intend to fully address and defend against these charges in court.”
Woodburn was released Thursday night on a $1,000 bail and $10,000 personal recognizance, according to CBS News.
His arraignment is set for 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 20.
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