Why Should Delaware Care?
Elected officials hold a position of public trust as they represent the interests of their constituents. As a result, arrests can impact their ability to serve the office. Accusations of assault against a Wilmington lawmaker have led to criminal charges and the launch of a legislative ethics investigation.
The Delaware Department of Justice charged Rep. Josue Ortega (D-Wilmington) with offensive touching, a misdemeanor, months after the Delaware State Police began investigating the lawmaker on claims he punched a woman in the face.
A DSP spokesperson confirmed the Wilmington legislator turned himself in on Thursday, Aug. 6, at the Troop 6 headquarters on Kirkwood Highway.
Ortega was arraigned and subsequently released on a $100 bond, the DSP spokesperson said. He also was given a no-contact order with the victim.
It is not immediately clear the exact punishment Ortega could face for the charge, as the sentences for unclassified misdemeanors, such as offensive touching can vary.
Ortega declined to comment when reached on Wednesday, but he previously released a statement in June unequivocally denying the accusations.
“Any suggestion that I have ever engaged in any act of domestic violence is patently untrue,” he said. “A thoughtful and deliberate review of this record will reveal that I was the one who sought, and was awarded relief, by the Courts regarding the abuse I have suffered from my accuser.”
When reached for comment Wednesday evening, a DOJ spokesperson said the department will fully prosecute the case.
How did we get here?
According to a police report dated May 21, Ortega was sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle with a woman in the driver’s seat when he punched her “in the left side of her face.”
The report also includes responses to a victim questionnaire, in which the woman claims Ortega had previously “threatened to kill” her or her children.
Though the incident occurred in May, it did not gain much public attention until mid-June. A Facebook user, who appears to be the victim, publicly posted that Ortega had punched her and that it had occurred in front of her 3-year-old child. She added photos to the post that raised concerns.
Leaders within the House of Representatives also launched a confidential Ethics Committee investigation into the matter in mid-June.
The committee held a closed-door meeting in July, though lawmakers did not explicitly say whether the meeting was about their investigation into Ortega.
House Majority Leader Kerri Evelyn-Harris (D-Dover), who chairs the Ethics Committee, said that while she cannot comment on any open investigations, the committee intends to issue a statement at the end of its review.
Who is Josue Ortega?
Ortega was first elected to the Delaware House of Representatives in 2024 to represent District 3, an area of west Wilmington that includes the communities of Hilltop, Little Italy and Hedgeville.
His candidacy was boosted at the time after a primary opponent, Brandon Fletcher-Dominguez, withdrew from the race just days before the primary election. At the time, state investigators had said Fletcher-Dominguez didn’t have a permanent residence within the district.
Ortega is the son of a former Wilmington city councilman, Demetrio “Junior” Ortega. The senior Ortega is seen as a hero by many within the city’s Puerto Rican community. He had served as executive director of the Latin American Community Center and organized the city’s first Hispanic week celebration in 1977.
Before being elected in 2024, Josue Ortega worked in constituent services for the city of Wilmington and New Castle County.
He currently serves on six House committees, including the Education and Transportation committees, among others.
The lawmaker scored perhaps his most noticeable legislative victory earlier this summer, when Gov. Matt Meyer signed House Bill 290, which recognized Puerto Rico Day as a ceremonial holiday for the state.
Karl Baker contributed to this report.
