Libertarian Party candidate Barrett arrested;
police say he violated restraining order
Wisconsin State Journal
A Libertarian Party candidate for Congress was arrested in Madison on Tuesday afternoon after police said he violated a Sauk County court order forbidding contact with his family.
Kevin Barrett, 49, turned himself in and was released from the Dane County Jail after posting $500 cash bail, according to authorities.
On Friday, Barrett was charged with disorderly conduct in Sauk County Circuit Court after being accused of hitting his 13-year-old son at home on the morning of the Sept. 9 3rd District Libertarian primary, which he won.
His wife, Fatna Bellouchi, also obtained a temporary restraining order against Barrett.
Barrett won the Libertarian primary and will challenge Democratic incumbent Ron Kind in the 3rd Congressional District.
A Madison police complaint said that on Saturday, Barrett came too close to the residence in the 500 block of South Randall Street where his wife and two sons, 13 and 11 years old, were staying and violated the restraining order. Bellouchi said Barrett came over and drove away the couple's car, which was parked outside the residence, police said.
Rolf Lindgren, Barrett's campaign manager, Tuesday said there was no harm in Barrett getting his car. "He never had any contact with anybody," Lindgren said. "He never put anybody in danger... It's easy to get people arrested in this country if you want to."
[It's certainly been easy for Lindgren to get arrested - 4 times - for drunk driving - ed.]
Lindgren said Barrett's wife was trying to sabotage his campaign. "It's just some sort of bizarre publicity stunt," he said.
According to Sauk County court records, Barrett was sleeping on the morning of the primary and became upset with household noise, chasing his older son out of the house in the town of Spring Green and striking him on his back.
Barrett grabbed national headlines in 2006 when he taught an elective class at UW-Madison about Islamic culture and religion that included discussion of his theory that the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were a government conspiracy.
Barrett Arrested in Abuse Case
The Daily Cardinal
Police arrested Kevin Barrett Tuesday after he violated a restraining order his wife filed against him based on claims he abused his son.
U.S. Congressional candidate Kevin Barrett, a former one-semester instructor at UW-Madison, was arrested in Madison Tuesday for violating a restraining order filed by his wife, Fatna Bellouchi.
According to Madison Police Officer Lori Chalecki, Barrett turned himself in to police after violating the no-contact provision of his restraining order.
On Sept. 10, Barrett was charged with domestic abuse following a criminal complaint filed by Bellouchi.
According to the complaint, Barrett struck his 14-year-old son several times in the back and threatened Bellouchi with clenched fists.
Barrett, tired from a long day of traveling, allegedy struck their son because their two children failed to lower the TV volume, the complaint said.
Barrett drew national attention in 2006 when he shared his conspiracy theories surrounding the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with a class. He claimed the U.S. government played a role in the attacks.
Rolf Lindgren, Barrett’s spokesperson, said Bellouchi’s allegations appear to be a publicity stunt.
Lindgren said he believes Bellouchi filed the report in an effort to draw media attention to her husband.
According to Lindgren, there is no truth to the allegations and the criminal charges will be cleared up soon.
“When Dr. Barrett is cleared, he will be hailed as a hero who beat the system. We hope the media does not fall for this cheap publicity stunt by Dr. Barrett’s wife,” Lindgren said in a statement.
State Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, said Barrett’s lawsuit would not affect his campaign for congressional office. He said it was unlikely prior to the lawsuit and arrest that Barrett would defeat his opponent, U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., who is favored to win the election.
If charged, Barrett faces a maximum fine of $1,000 or imprisonment for a maximum of 90 days.
