(Colorado Newsline) Ike McCorkle, a Democratic congressional candidate, was arrested in Douglas County earlier this week for allegedly violating a protection order.

McCorkle is one of four Democrats running for Colorado’s 4th District seat against a growing list of Republican hopefuls, including Rep. Lauren Boebert, the current 3rd District representative.

Court records show McCorkle was arrested on a misdemeanor count Wednesday and posted a $500 bond the same day. He is scheduled to appear in Douglas County court early Friday. 

Contacted by phone Thursday evening, McCorkle called the arrest “illegitimate” and said he expects the matter to be cleared up in his court appearance. He said the charges are related to nonsense claims.

According to civil court records, plaintiff Jennifer Varnak and defendant McCorkle were parties in a protection order case in 2021. The same year they were also parties in another protection order case in which McCorkle was the plaintiff and Varnak the defendant, records indicate. It’s unclear if McCorkle’s recent arrest is related to the 2021 cases.

In Colorado, a protection order — also known as a restraining order — prevents the person named from harassing, intimidating or otherwise contacting the protected person, or from coming within a specified distance of the protected person.

McCorkle, an 18-year Marine veteran and a Purple Heart recipient, ran for the District 4 seat in 2020 and 2022, losing both times to U.S. Rep. Ken Buck, a Windsor Republican who is not running for reelection this year.

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