KDP launches jerryforjail.com with court records, mug shots Police report: Legislative candidate Gearding “a danger to self and others”
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Oct. 20, 2022) – With Kentucky Republican leaders refusing to speak out against an extremist their party nominated for a targeted legislative race who has a slew of arrests for violence including attacking women and police, the Kentucky Democratic Party launched a web site this week to inform Kentuckians, particularly residents in Campbell County, about Jerome "Jerry" Gearding’s alarming record and arrests.
Kentuckians can learn more at www.jerryforjail.com.
Gearding, the Republican nominee for state House District 67 against Democratic Rep. Rachel Roberts, has a history of arrests for assaulting women with one woman filing for two emergency protective orders because of a fear of domestic violence and abuse, according to news reports, and Gearding was arrested for encouraging others to attack a police officer. Gearding, whose campaign account was suspended by Twitter, has posted anti-Semitic comments, said Jan. 6 was a hoax, jokes about a suicide hotline and called a teacher’s union a terrorist organization.
"Jerry Gearding is a dangerous extremist with a string of arrests for violence against women and police and belongs in jail – not in the state legislature," said Kentucky Democratic Party Chair Colmon Elridge. "Gearding is a threat to women, to police and to democracy. Jerry Gearding has been arrested repeatedly for breaking the law – he should be the last person who gets to vote on them. The Kentucky GOP can’t continue to pretend to be tough on crime when they welcome dangerous men like Jerry Gearding in their caucus. It is shameful the KYGOP nominated this extremist to a targeted district and that party leaders have sat by quietly while their party accepts yet another accused batterer. The voters of District 67 should do what the Kentucky GOP refuses – keep accused batterers, extremists and anti-Semites out of the state legislature."
Today is National Domestic Violence Awareness Day and October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
“I can think of few better ways to honor the resilience of past or present survivors of this trauma than to call out this accused batterer and to use our platform to do something the Kentucky Republican Party refuses to do,” Chair Elridge said. “Whether it’s refusing to codify the Violence Against Women Act federally, or refusing to denounce the candidacy of Jerry Gearding, the Kentucky GOP’s silence and inaction speaks volumes. We will not be silent and will speak up and out loudly about the seemingly cozy relationship between the KYGOP and dangerous candidates.”
With Gearding’s string of arrests, including pleading to disorderly conduct for “interfer(ing) with a Police Officer by causing others to attack him,” the Fraternal Order of Police endorsed Rep. Roberts.
According to court records and a report by the Cincinnati Enquirer, Gearding was arrested in August 2018 for attacking his then-girlfriend. She told police he had “punched and shoved her, knocking her head into the microwave.” When officers arrived, Gearding was in his vehicle trying to leave with his 10-year-old son, but had a strong “odor of alcoholic beverages, blood shot, watery eyes and could not follow directions,” according to the report from the Wilder Police Department.
“The female caller had a swollen lip, and a cut on top of her head,” according to the police report and news reports.
“Above subject was a danger to self and others,” according to the report.
Gearding was arrested again a month later in September 2018 for violating the terms of his release by harassing the same woman, who reported “Gearding was drunk and yelling at her.”
“Officer had arrested Mr. Gearding for Assault 4th on 8/18/18, and Judge (Cameron) Blau made bond release conditions that included no contact with the victim, and no alcohol or drug use,” the police report reads according to Link NKY. “The County attorney was notified, and after confirming the conditions of his release with Judge Blau, Mr. Gearding was taken into custody. Mr. Gearding was extremely intoxicated at the time of his arrest.”
The woman filed for two emergency protective orders, one in 2018 and another in 2019, "citing a danger of domestic violence and abuse," according to a news report and to court records.
Gearding was also arrested in 2019 and charged with fourth-degree assault after pushing a woman’s head into the ground and giving her a swollen, bloody lip. According to the police report, Gearding again “fled in his truck with his 10-year-old son” despite police later finding him “extremely intoxicated, slurred speech, unsteady on feet, admitted to drinking Vodka.”
Gearding pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and paid a fine after a November 2005 incident at Paul Brown Stadium, where he "interfered with a Police Officer by causing others to attack him causing public annoyance and alarm," according to court records in Hamilton County, Ohio.
Even fellow Republicans know Gearding is dangerous. Current Republican State Rep. Adam Koenig, R-Erlanger, referred to Gearding as a “felon” who “beat your baby momma with a microwave.” 
In 2006, Gearding was found guilty of operating a vehicle under the influence.
According to a news report, Gearding moved out of state in 2020 after completing his diversion.
“I had to move out of the state, and I didn’t want to pull my son out of school in the middle of the year, so I asked him if I could move to Ohio, and I was told ‘no, you need to go farther than that,'” Gearding said according to Link NKY. “So I had to move where my employer was at the time in South Carolina.”
Because local and state Republicans apparently could not recruit a better Republican candidate in the targeted district, Gearding was unopposed in the primary and is on the general election ballot as the GOP nominee for the Campbell County-based seat.
When asked about Gearding’s disturbing record by the Cincinnati Enquirer, Campbell County Republican Party chair Anna Zinkhon declined to comment, but Zinkhorn actually had the gall to blame the victim when talking to Link.
“I do believe that there’s a mental health problem with the person making the alleged accusations in this issue,” the GOP chair said and confirmed they back Gearding.
The Republican Party of Kentucky has remained silent on its nominee’s history of violence against women.
Kentucky GOP officials were similarly quiet about Republican Rep. Robert Goforth, who was arrested in April 2020 and indicted later that year after strangling his wife with an Ethernet cable and threatening to kill her. Despite his indictment, Goforth went on to win reelection in 2020 as the Republican Party’s nominee and only resigned in August 2021 – over a year after his arrest. Goforth has since pleaded guilty. |
