Saturday, October 24, 2026
Vol. VIII
Est. 2019

The Mind Shield

News · Opinion · Politics · Analysis

Woman who was arrested for child endangerment appears in ad calling Democrats a danger to kids.

Woman who was arrested for child endangerment appears in ad calling Democrats a danger to kids.
Screenshot

An Iowa woman who was charged with child endangerment is now campaigning for Republicans and accusing Democrats of being a danger to children.

The ad to boost incumbent Republican Rep. Zach Nunn in Iowa’s third congressional district features Shellie Flockhart falsely accusing Nunn’s opponent, Democratic Iowa state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, of voting to allow boys to compete in girls’ sports and allowing “grown men into girls’ locker rooms.

“When it comes to our kids, Sarah Trone Garriott is just plain dangerous,” Flockhart declared in the ad, which was paid for by the Congressional Leadership Fund.

But between Flockhart and Trone Garriott, only one was arrested for endangering children.

The Washington Post reported Saturday that Flockhart was arrested in 2017 and pleaded guilty to charges related to child endangerment and driving under the influence after authorities said she drove drunk with two of her children, then ages 8 and 11, in the car.

Court documents say an officer spoke with Flockhart after noticing her vehicle parked in the grass on the side of a highway. According to an affidavit included in court filings, the responding officer said Flockhart’s speech was very slurred and she “appeared to have difficulty comprehending” questions.

A preliminary breath test displayed a .254 blood alcohol content, three times the legal limit for driving. A test taken at the jail displayed a .192 level, The Post reported.

Flockhart pleaded guilty to one count of child endangerment and one count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. The court ordered her to pay a fine and placed her on probation.

Last year, Flockhart said she went to rehab and has found God.

The Washington Post reported that Flockhart responded to their request for comment with a “one-page statement to The Washington Post with conditions for its use that would violate The Post’s editorial standards.”

Meanwhile, Trone Garriott’s campaign calls the news  “disappointing, but not surprising,” adding that “Zach Nunn and his allies have resorted to desperate lies to try to win this election.”

The Cook Political Report rates the race between Nunn and Trone Garriott as “Lean Democrat,” which would be a Democratic flip.