Current:Home > NewsFormer Arizona senator reports being molested while running in Iowa -Wealth Evolution Experts
Former Arizona senator reports being molested while running in Iowa
View
Date:2025-04-14 02:58:01
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A former United States senator from Arizona has said she was molested while jogging along the Missouri River in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Martha McSally described the Wednesday morning attack in a video she posted online.
“A man came up behind me and he engulfed me in a bear hug and he molested and fondled me until I fought him off,” she said. “I then chased him down. I said a lot of swear words in this moment. I was in a fight, flight or freeze. And I chose to fight.”
After McSally chased the man into the brush at Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park, she called police.
Council Bluffs Police said in a statement that McSally lost sight of the man before officers arrived around 11 a.m., and he escaped. Police are still looking for him.
The former Senator turned keynote speaker who failed to win reelection in 2020 said she was in the area to deliver a speech about courage just across the Missouri River in Omaha Wednesday night.
The first woman to fly a fighter plan in combat said in the video that she was OK, but that the assault “tapped into a nerve of other sexual abuse and assault that I’ve been through in the past.”
McSally disclosed during a 2019 Senate hearing on sexual assault in the military that she had been raped by a superior officer in the Air Force. She didn’t report that assault at the time because she didn’t trust the system, but she said Wednesday: “I took my power back. He tried to take power from me, but I turned it on him and he was running from me instead of the other way around.”
McSally said she still has a lot to process, and in a follow-up video Thursday she said she was overcome with emotion while she was working on a Power Point presentation in the airport ahead of another speech in Chicago.
McSally served in the Air Force from 1988 until 2010 and rose to the rank of colonel before entering politics. She served two terms in the House before narrowly losing a bid to represent Arizona in the Senate against Democrat Kyrsten Sinema.
In 2018 she was appointed to replace longtime GOP Sen. John McCain after his death.
veryGood! (8)
Related
- Daughter of Utah death row inmate navigates complicated dance of grief and healing before execution
- Rob McElhenney Shares Why He Believes Friend Ryan Reynolds Isn't Human
- In Idaho, don’t say ‘abortion’? A state law limits teachers at public universities, they say
- How many calories are in an egg? A quick guide to the nutrition facts for your breakfast
- British swimmer Adam Peaty: There are worms in the food at Paris Olympic Village
- 'The Voice': Team Legend and Team Reba lead with 4 singers in Top 5, including Instant Save winner
- Celtics reach Eastern Conference finals for third season in a row after ousting Cavaliers
- Justice Department to investigate Kentucky’s juvenile jails after use of force, isolation complaints
- Video shows dog chewing cellphone battery pack, igniting fire in Oklahoma home
- Rory McIlroy not talking about divorce on eve of PGA Championship
Ranking
- 'Malcolm in the Middle’ to return with new episodes featuring Frankie Muniz
- After a 3-year search, suspect who texted 'so I raped you' to US college student arrested
- The Academy of Country Music Awards are here; Luke Combs leads the nominations
- Jason Kelce Shares Conversation With Taylor Swift’s Pal Miles Teller
- Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
- Victoria's Secret Fashion Show to return for the first time since 2018: What to know
- Raccoon on field stops play in MLS game. How stadium workers corralled and safely released it.
- Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker's speech was ugly. He's only part of a bigger problem.
Recommendation
The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
Preakness favorite Muth ruled out of the 2nd leg of the Triple Crown after spiking a fever
Real Housewives' Brynn Whitfield Shares Hacks To Nail the Date, Get a Second Date & Get Engaged
After a 3-year search, suspect who texted 'so I raped you' to US college student arrested
Hidden Home Gems From Kohl's That Will Give Your Space a Stylish Refresh for Less
Justice Department to investigate Kentucky’s juvenile jails after use of force, isolation complaints
Motion to expel Minnesota Sen. Nicole Mitchell over felony burglary charge fails
What to know about a bus crash that killed 8 Mexican farmworkers in Florida