State Sen. Dan McKeon resigned from the Nebraska Legislature on Tuesday just minutes before the full chamber was set to debate expelling him over accusations that he made a sexually charged comment to a legislative staffer and touched her inappropriately during a session-end party last May. McKeon, a Republican from rural south-central Nebraska who had served less than one year in office, delivered a tearful apology on the legislative floor before stepping down.
“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.”
McKeon’s resignation came one day after the Legislature’s 10-member Executive Board voted unanimously to forward a motion to expel him to the full body — a step the Associated Press reported was unprecedented in Nebraska. He becomes at least the 57th state lawmaker in the nation to leave office through expulsion or resignation since 2017 following sexual misconduct allegations.
The Allegations
The complaint stemmed from a May 29 party marking the end of the legislative session. A staffer who works for another lawmaker said McKeon approached her and another aide, engaged in small talk about vacation plans, and told her she should “get laid” on her trip. She also said he patted her on her buttocks.
McKeon disputed that account. His attorney said McKeon had made a “bad pun,” telling the woman she and her spouse should “go to Hawaii and enjoy a Hawaiian lei.” McKeon also said he patted the staffer on the back and may have accidentally brushed her rear end, but maintained that any such contact was unintentional.
An outside investigation found the conduct violated the Nebraska Legislature’s workplace harassment policy. The report determined it did not rise to actionable sexual harassment or retaliation under state or federal discrimination law.
A Pattern of Conduct
The investigation also found that McKeon had a history of making inappropriate comments and jokes during his tenure in the chamber. The investigator further found that McKeon had ignored a directive from the Executive Board’s chairman not to attend events where staffers would be present — and showed up that same day at a separate party attended by the woman who filed the complaint against him.
A text McKeon sent to a staffer who shares an office with the complainant, in which he said the complainant “seems to be difficult to work with,” could constitute retaliation against her, the investigator found.
Several lawmakers and the outside investigation’s findings prompted the Executive Board to take a harder stance than the body had in a prior harassment case. Many of McKeon’s fellow lawmakers said his demeanor in the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s resignation had been defiant and dismissive of the accusations.
Pending Criminal Charge
McKeon also faces a misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace following a Nebraska State Patrol investigation into his interaction with the staffer last May. He has pleaded not guilty to that charge and is scheduled to appear in court on January 26.
Context Within the Legislature
The accusations against McKeon arose against a backdrop of heightened scrutiny of sexual harassment within state legislatures, including Nebraska’s own recent history.
About 15 months before the May 29 party, the Legislature was thrown into turmoil when then-Republican state Sen. Steve Halloran read a graphic account of rape from a bestselling memoir on the legislative floor, repeatedly invoking the name of a fellow lawmaker in a way that made it appear as though that colleague was the subject of the assault. An outside investigation found Halloran had violated the body’s workforce sexual harassment policy. The Executive Board issued him a letter of reprimand — a response that drew criticism from several lawmakers who said Halloran should have faced a full censure vote. Halloran left office in January 2025 due to term limits.
This time, the Executive Board moved directly toward expulsion proceedings.