Republican lawmaker ends re-election bid after daughter accuses him of sexually abusing her during childhood
Minnesota state representative Jim Knoblach abruptly ended his re-election campaign for the Minnesota House of Representatives on Friday amid allegations of inappropriate touching from his adult daughter.
The abrupt announcement from the 60-year-old Minnesota Republican came just hours after his attorney, Susan Gaertner, denied the allegations in an interview with Minnesota Public. She said the veteran St Cloud Republican “does not want to drag his family through six weeks of hell.”
Knoblach’s 23-year-old daughter, Laura, told MPR that he inappropriately touched her for most of her life, with her first memories starting when she was nine years old and continuing until she was 21. She said the activity included kissing, licking and biting her ears. She also confirmed that she confided in close friends, family and authority figures at her school and church about his actions for more than a decade.