Another Man Source of Garrison Keillor Allegations

Garrison Keilor

The person who first accused Garrison Keillor of inappropriate behavior wasn’t a woman — it was an angry man.

According to The Star-Tribune, Dan Rowles, a close associate of Keillor’s and a 16-year employee of “A Prairie Home Companion,” spoke up after he was dumped from the show last summer and rejected a severance offer from Minnesota Public Radio, according to seven people who have worked on the show.

Rowles’ disclosure triggered internal and external investigations by MPR that concluded Keillor had engaged in “dozens of sexually inappropriate incidents … over a period of years,” including “unwanted sexual touching,” according to MPR. All of the alleged misconduct involved a longtime female writer for the show.

Some staff members now accuse Rowles of exploiting that writer’s pain in an effort to obtain a larger financial package. They note that the woman did not come forward with her own account until two months after Rowles told MPR officials of Keillor’s alleged misconduct.

Dan Rowles

Attorney Frances Baillon, who represents both Rowles and Keillor’s alleged victim, declined to address why the writer chose to wait until last fall to lodge a complaint against Keillor.

Baillon declined to say what either is seeking, but said Rowles was not acting from selfish motives. “Because our client believes people should feel safe at work, he raised his concerns about inappropriate workplace conduct,” she said.

Keillor, who has denied the allegations and described himself as a victim of “extortion,” declined to comment for this story, saying he is still “tied up” in his own talks with MPR to settle their legal separation.

A longtime Twin Cities musician, he joined the show in 1985 as a stagehand but soon worked himself into a spot on the cast, performing in some of the show’s most beloved recurring skits, including “Guy Noir” and “Buster the Show Dog.” He also began contributing ideas as a writer.