politics

The ex-wife of Independence Party gubernatorial candidate Rob Hahn obtained a protection order against him more than a year ago, after a verbal argument turned physical and Hahn reportedly threatened to kill her.

Hahn described the incident that led to the court order as "a shove" on the night of March 3, 2009, as he was moving out of their St. Paul house. He said he was exhausted after returning home from Florida and strained from new tangles in their divorce negotiations. At a Capitol rally last March, Hahn described it as a "verbal row that, unfortunately, escalated into something a little more." He said police were never called and no charges were filed.

Court records tell a more chilling story.

"He pushed me against the wall and was screaming in my face," Hahn's then-wife wrote when seeking the protection order. "He took the phone and broke it and put me in a choke hold."

Hahn then broke a second phone when she tried to call for help, she wrote. The couple's two children, now ages 10 and 12, were home at the time.

When Hahn's ex-wife ran out of the home, she wrote that he yelled "You're [expletive] lucky I didn't kill you."

She was granted a protection order by Ramsey County District Court on March 6, 2009, that remains in effect until March 2011.

Hahn's ex-wife wrote that he had unleashed a few angry outbursts over the years, but never directed at her. She did not return messages Wednesday seeking comment.

St. Paul police have logged two calls for service at the Hahn home since the order was filed, on Dec. 7 and Dec. 8, 2009. Police had no details, but Hahn said the protection order requires police to be present whenever he is at the house. Hahn said he arranged to have police at the home those days so he and a friend could remove the last of his belongings.

Hahn, whose campaign has become more high-profile as he has stepped up attacks of IP endorsee Tom Horner, said he has not tried to hide the incident and even talked about it at a judicial reform rally last March at the Capitol. The rally video is displayed on his campaign website, but does not include the details.

"I didn't want to hide behind it," Hahn said Wednesday. "I can't change what happened. All you can do is move forward."

Hahn said that after the argument, he realized he made a ghastly mistake. He said he did not dispute her request for the protection order and voluntarily enrolled in classes at the Domestic Abuse Project in Minneapolis.

'Out-of-body moment'

"I had to deal with this to make sure it didn't happen again," Hahn said. "It was kind of a crazy, out-of-body moment. To this day, I regret it because I was wrong. I wish it didn't happen, but it did."

Hahn, a local magazine publisher who previously wrote auto racing columns for the Star Tribune, has made reforming family law and child custody regulations a signature issue of his campaign. He also favors requiring separated couples to go to classes to learn about "the dark realities" of the divorce process.

Hahn said he doesn't believe the incident should dissuade voters from choosing him for the state's highest-elected office.

"The voters are free to judge me however they see fit," he said. "I just ask they look not only at my mistakes but how I've dealt with them. The latter often speaks more about an individual's judgment and character."

He said voters should also appreciate his candor.

"The way I've handled this matter and discussed it publicly should offer voters a strong indication I don't hide anything," Hahn said.

Baird Helgeson • 651-222-1288