Rick Roeber
{{short description|American politician from Missouri}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Rick Roeber
| image =
| alt =
| state_house = Missouri
| district = 34th
| term_start = January 9, 2021
| term_end = April 21, 2021
| predecessor = Rebecca Roeber
| successor = Kemp Strickler
| prior_term =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|12|20}}
| birth_place = Lincoln, Nebraska
| death_date =
| death_place =
| profession =
| spouse = {{ubl|{{marriage|Michelle Keller|1984|1992|end=div}}|{{marriage|Rebecca Roeber|1997|2019|end=died}}}}
| children = 3
| party = Republican
| education = University of Missouri–Kansas City
}}
Rick Roeber (born December 20, 1955) Is a former American politician. He was expelled from the Missouri House of Representatives in April 2021, as a result of an investigation that he had allegedly physically, mentally, and sexually abused his own children.
Political career
Roeber took office as a Republican in January 2021 to fill the seat in the Missouri House of Representatives which had been held by his wife, Rebecca, who died in 2019. Roeber was unanimously expelled from the House in April 2021 following an investigation into claims of child sexual and physical abuse, which he has denied.{{Cite web|last=Schallhorn|first=Kaitlyn|date=April 21, 2021|title=House expels Rick Roeber following Ethics report|url=https://themissouritimes.com/house-expels-rick-roeber-following-ethics-reportage/|access-date=April 21, 2021|website=The Missouri Times|language=en}}
Child abuse allegations
In September 2020, Roeber's children and former spouse accused him of sexual and physical abuse.{{Cite web|date=September 29, 2020|title=MO Republican House candidate Rick Roeber's adult children claim he abused them [Updated 12.14.20]|url=https://www.thepitchkc.com/mo-republican-house-candidate-rick-roebers-adult-children-claim-he-abused-them/|access-date=April 20, 2021|website=The Pitch|language=en-US}}{{cite news|title=Missouri House candidate's adult children say he physically and sexually abused them|work=Kansas City Star|url=https://kansascity.com/opinion/editorials/article246067965.html}} Following the release of those claims, state legislators requested his withdrawal from the race.{{Cite web|last=Schallhorn|first=Kaitlyn|date=October 15, 2020|title=After Roeber abuse allegations, HD 34 not on HRCC 'target list'|url=https://themissouritimes.com/after-roeber-abuse-allegations-hd-34-not-on-hrcc-target-list/|access-date=April 20, 2021|website=The Missouri Times|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Schallhorn|first=Kaitlyn|date=September 29, 2020|title=Sheila Solon, GOP chair of Children & Families, calls on Roeber to drop out of race following abuse allegations|url=https://themissouritimes.com/sheila-solon-gop-chair-of-children-families-calls-on-roeber-to-drop-out-of-race/|access-date=April 20, 2021|website=The Missouri Times|language=en}} He refused, and won the election by 301 votes over Democrat Chris Hager.{{Cite web|title=Rick Roeber|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Rick_Roeber|access-date=April 20, 2021|website=Ballotpedia|language=en}}
After his victory, three of his children wrote to Speaker of the House Rob Vescovo and urged that he prevent Roeber from taking office.{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/04/20/rick-roeber-abuse-missouri-house/|title=Missouri House member faces expulsion after investigation finds he sexually, physically abused his children|last=Peiser|first=Jaclyn|work=Washington Post|date=April 20, 2021}}{{Cite web|date=November 11, 2020|title=Children of Missouri Republican Lawmaker Try to Block Him From Taking Office, Claiming He Abused Them|url=https://www.insideedition.com/children-of-missouri-republican-lawmaker-try-to-block-him-from-taking-office-claiming-he-abused|access-date=April 20, 2021|website=Inside Edition|language=en-US}} Roeber was sworn in on January 9, 2021; however, he was barred from joining the House Republican Caucus.{{cite web|url=https://themissouritimes.com/roeber-barred-from-house-republican-caucus/|title=Roeber barred from House Republican Caucus|publisher=Missouri Times|date=December 14, 2020}} This prevented him from serving on committees or receiving prime office space in the Capitol typically reserved for the majority party. The House Ethics Committee began an investigation into the allegations against Roeber.
In April 2021, Vescovo and Representative Travis Fitzwater, the chair of the Ethics Committee, contacted Jackson County prosecutor Jean Peters Baker expressing concern about Roeber's time with an underage child and the previous allegations made against him.{{Cite web|date=April 14, 2021|title=Prosecutor reviewing abuse claims against Missouri lawmaker|url=https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/prosecutor-reviewing-abuse-claims-against-missouri-lawmaker|access-date=April 20, 2021|website=KSHB|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=April 14, 2021|title=Prosecutor reviewing abuse claims against Missouri lawmaker Rick Roeber|url=https://fox2now.com/news/missouri/prosecutor-reviewing-abuse-claims-against-missouri-lawmaker-rick-roeber/|access-date=April 20, 2021|website=FOX 2|language=en-US}} The letter to Peters stated that they were "concerned for the safety of this minor child" and requested she contact law enforcement to ensure the child's security.
Roeber announced his resignation on April 13, 2021.{{Cite web|last=Schallhorn|first=Kaitlyn|date=April 13, 2021|title=Rick Roeber resigns from Missouri House|url=https://themissouritimes.com/rick-roeber-resigns-from-missouri-house/|access-date=April 20, 2021|website=The Missouri Times|language=en}} The House unanimously voted to reject his resignation until the Ethics Committee completed its investigation.{{Cite web|date=April 15, 2021|title=Missouri House delays Rep. Rick Roeber's resignation to finish review|url=https://www.kmbc.com/article/missouri-house-delays-rep-rick-roebers-resignation-to-finish-review/36135033|access-date=April 20, 2021|website=Associated Press|language=en}} His resignation letter makes no mention of the abuse allegations, but that he planned to move out-of-state and be closer to extended family.
The Ethics Committee released its report on Roeber's conduct on April 19, 2021. The committee found the allegations credible and stated that Roeber had sexually abused two of his children when they were nine and five years old, had physically and mentally abused his children, and attempted to continue sexually abusing them throughout their childhood.{{cite web|last=Shallhorn|first=Kaitlyn|url=https://themissouritimes.com/roeber-sexually-mentally-physically-abused-his-children-house-ethics-committee-finds/|title=Roeber sexually, mentally, physically abused his children, House Ethics Committee finds|publisher=Missouri Times|date=April 19, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article250790304.html|title=Missouri committee recommends expulsion for state rep over alleged abuse of his children|last=Kuang|first=Jeanne|publisher=Kansas City Star|date=April 19, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://themissouritimes.com/roeber-barred-from-house-republican-caucus/|last=Erickson|first=Kurt|title=Scathing report on Missouri lawmaker sets stage for ouster|publisher=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|date=April 19, 2021}} The committee unanimously recommended Roeber be expelled from the House.
He was also accused of cruelty to animals when witnesses alleged he had drowned several puppies.{{cite web|url=https://news.stlpublicradio.org/government-politics-issues/2021-04-21/missouri-legislature-expels-rep-rick-roeber-over-child-abuse-allegations|title=Missouri Legislature Expels Rep. Rick Roeber Over Child Abuse Allegations|author=Okeson-Haberman, Aviva|date=April 21, 2021|accessdate=September 12, 2021|publisher=St. Louis Public Radio}}
The House expelled him on April 21, 2021, by a vote of 153–0. He was the first legislator in Missouri to be expelled since 1865.{{Cite web |url=https://fox2now.com/news/politics/missouri-house-votes-to-expel-rick-roeber-after-abuse-claims/ |title=Missouri House votes to expel Rick Roeber after abuse claims |date=April 21, 2021 |last1=Manley |first1=Emily |last2=Meier |first2=Travis |website=KTVI |access-date=April 21, 2021}}
He has denied the allegations.{{cite web|url=https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/rep-rick-roeber-calls-abuse-claims-a-political-hit-as-ethics-committee-recommends-expulsion|title=Rep. Rick Roeber calls abuse claims a 'political hit' as ethics committee recommends expulsion|last=Williams|first=Kari|publisher=KSHB Kansas City|date=April 19, 2021}}{{Cite web|last=Schallhorn|first=Kaitlyn|date=April 19, 2021|title=Roeber sexually, mentally, physically abused his children, House Ethics Committee finds|url=https://themissouritimes.com/roeber-sexually-mentally-physically-abused-his-children-house-ethics-committee-finds/|access-date=April 20, 2021|website=The Missouri Times|language=en}} He was reported to the authorities in both 1993 and 2001 for alleged child sexual abuse, but no charges were ever filed.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Ballotpedia|Rick_Roeber}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Roeber, Rick}}
Category:Republican Party members of the Missouri House of Representatives
Category:People expelled from United States state legislatures
Category:People from Lee's Summit, Missouri
Category:Politicians from Lincoln, Nebraska
Category:University of Missouri–Kansas City alumni
Category:21st-century members of the Missouri General Assembly