Nebraska state Sen. Dan McKeon resigned from the Nebraska Legislature on Tuesday, just minutes before debate was scheduled on a motion to expel him from the chamber.
McKeon, a Republican from rural south-central Nebraska who had served only a year, announced his resignation on the legislative floor and apologized as lawmakers prepared to consider harsh condemnation during the expulsion debate. “My words and actions were careless, regardless of the intent,” McKeon said. “I accept my responsibility for the impact of my words and my actions.”
During the same floor appearance, McKeon said the past year had “humbled” him and described accountability as more than acknowledging a mistake. “This past year has humbled me. It requires reflection, listening and learning. Accountability is not only acknowledging my mistake but committing to grow from it. I take that responsibility seriously,” he said, his voice cracking.
Lawmakers had been bracing for the expulsion debate after the Legislature’s 10-member Executive Board voted unanimously the day before to forward a motion to expel McKeon to the full Legislature for a vote. The AP report said the move followed accusations that McKeon made a sexually charged comment to a legislative staffer and touched her inappropriately during a session-end party last year.
The complaint that triggered the review was tied to a May 29 party, where McKeon allegedly approached the staffer who worked for another lawmaker and an aide. The staffer said McKeon told her she should “get laid” on her vacation and patted her buttocks, according to the AP report.
McKeon has countered that he did not mean his comment as a sexual remark. His attorney said McKeon “made a bad pun,” and that he told the staffer and her spouse to “go to Hawaii and enjoy a Hawaiian lei.” The attorney also said McKeon disputed the physical contact allegation, saying he patted the staffer on the back and may have accidentally brushed her rear end but insisted that any contact was unintentional.
The outside investigation described by the AP report said McKeon’s conduct violated the Nebraska Legislature’s workplace harassment policy. The report said the investigation determined McKeon’s behavior did not rise to a level of sexual harassment or retaliation actionable under state or federal discrimination law.
The investigation also found McKeon ignored a directive by the Executive Board’s chairman not to attend events where staffers would be, the AP report said. The report said McKeon attended that same day at another party where the woman who filed the complaint was present. It also said a text McKeon sent to another staffer—who shares an office with the woman—could constitute retaliation, including language that the staffer “seems to be difficult to work with.”
McKeon’s resignation came amid broader attention on sexual harassment allegations in state legislatures nationwide, including in Nebraska. The AP report said the allegations against McKeon followed an earlier controversy involving former Sen. Steve Halloran, which included a workforce sexual harassment policy finding and a letter of reprimand from the Executive Board that some lawmakers criticized, before Halloran left office in January 2025 due to term limits.
Alongside the Legislature discipline process, the AP report said McKeon faces a misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace following a Nebraska State Patrol investigation into his interaction with the staffer last May. McKeon pleaded not guilty and is set to appear in court on Jan. 26.
The AP report said McKeon became at least the 57th state lawmaker in the nation to leave office via expulsion or resignation since 2017 following sexual misconduct allegations.
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