Vito Barbieri

Barbieri introduced HR 27 to make House ethics hearings secret; House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel noted that public hearings led directly to criminal charges and Aaron von Ehlinger's rape conviction — hearings that, under Barbieri's proposal, "would have been done in darkness"

Barbieri testified in support of convicted rapist Aaron von Ehlinger during his ethics trial and submitted a character reference letter to the sentencing judge on official legislative letterhead; he is now proposing to close the same type of ethics hearings that led to von Ehlinger's conviction

Barbieri wrote on official legislative letterhead calling von Ehlinger "upstanding" and "genuine in character" after von Ehlinger was convicted of raping a 19-year-old legislative intern; Barbieri had also testified in support of von Ehlinger during the ethics hearing

Barbieri called the public ethics hearings of von Ehlinger and Rep. Priscilla Giddings a "fiasco" and pushed to close future hearings; fellow Republican Rep. Brent Crane called the proposal "a wholesale change" that would leave "everything veiled in secrecy"

Barbieri asked a physician whether a woman could swallow a camera for a remote gynecological exam; the doctor explained that swallowed pills do not end up in the vagina, to hoots of laughter; Barbieri responded "Fascinating" and later claimed the question was rhetorical

National commentary noting Barbieri's question is part of a broader pattern of legislators displaying anatomical ignorance while legislating female reproduction

Barbieri posted on his campaign website calling on Christians to pull children from Idaho's "Godless institution" of public schools; he defended the statement when confronted at a debate, saying "My words exactly"