Confessed sex offender withdraws from race for LCCC board

A candidate who admitted to being a registered sex offender has withdrawn his candidacy for a seat on the Laramie County Community College board of trustees.

The Laramie County Republican Party on Tuesday charged Anthony Schmidt with pleading guilty to committing sexual offenses with children in 2002 and soliciting children to have sexual intercourse in subsequent years.

On Tuesday, Schmidt admitted to being a registered sex offender but argued that he had paid his debt to society.

Anthony Schmidt makes a statement

On Wednesday, Schmidt announced his withdrawal from the race and made the following statement:

Given the misinformation in the LCRP statement and the public comments I have read, I have concluded that it is in the best interest of my family and me to drop out of the race. This decision was not made lightly. I truly believed that I have ideas that could benefit our community, but unfortunately I will not have the opportunity to follow through on them. The misrepresentation of my past – whether it be an error in the LCRP statement or, worse, in the court documents – is simply too severe to bear.

I will continue to live a law-abiding life and ensure my voice is heard when needed. Although I will no longer seek political office, I will continue to advocate for positive change in our community.

I would like to thank my family and friends who supported my dream from the bottom of my heart.