A Republican candidate for the Indiana House of Representatives was arrested on the eve of the election on Monday after being accused of violating a protection order.
Jim Schenke, 57, a delegate for the state’s 26th House district, was booked into Tippecanoe County Jail after police received a complaint late that he had allegedly contacted an individual on Facebook who has a protection order against him, according to The Lafayette Journal and Courier.
Tippecanoe County Chief Deputy Terry Ruley said officers received the complaint at 8.35pm on Sunday and, after investigating, concluded there was probable cause to make an arrest.
Schenke was duly arrested at his Wabash Township home on Monday on a preliminary charge of invasion of privacy.
He was booked into jail in the early hours of Monday morning but subsequently paid a $250 cash bond to secure his release.
According to the state registry, the politician, who is seeking to represent West Lafayette, currently has two protection orders against him: one from a local attorney and their staff. Schenke, meanwhile, has a protection order against a person living in his neighborhood.
Schenke resumed campaigning on his release from jail and took to Facebook to deny the allegations against him, claiming he is the real victim.
“For anyone who cares about honesty I have been accused of violating a protective order,” Schenke wrote on the social media platform.
“In truth I have a protective order against the sociopath that has been stalking and menacing me for months.”
In response to questions from one of his followers about the post, Schenke wrote: “Ever seen the movie Pacific Heights? I’ve got a protective order against a guy like the Michael Keaton character.”
Keaton plays a psychotic con-artist in the 1990 psychological thriller of that name.
The Independent has contacted Schenke’s campaign for further comment.
Schenke, who is running against incumbent Democrat Chris Campbell and hoping to become the first Republican to represent the district in six years, made headlines last month when he was accused of driving a campaign motor vehicle into a street light while uninsured. The charge was later dropped on October 22.
He has also been hit with a civil charge by the Tippecanoe County Election Board for allegedly failing to include adequate political disclaimers in his campaign adverts.
