Thanks to the Harvey Weinstein scandal, allegations of sexual harassment and abuse are starting to surface about a litany of people, and no longer just celebrities. It was only a matter of time before the trend spread from Hollywood to the DC swamp, and for one candidate, it couldn’t have come at a worse time.
Republicans are scrambling to denounce and figure out what to do about a Senate race in Alabama, as the party’s candidate, Roy Moore, has just been accused of some disturbing behavior when he was younger. A Washington Post report has surfaced with several women claiming that when Moore was in his 30’s, he liked to pursue teenage girls. Including one who said she had a sexual encounter with the Senate hopeful when she was 14 and him 32.
As reported at Politico, in response to the damaging report, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called for Moore to withdraw from the race if it’s he pursued teenage girls in his 30’s.
“If these allegations are true, he must step aside,” McConnell said bluntly. Many other Republicans are equally repulsed by the story, and have either called for his immediate withdrawal or to wait a little longer to ensure the claims are true.
“The allegations against Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore are deeply troubling,” added Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. “If these allegations are found to be true, Roy Moore must drop out of the Alabama special Senate election.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) was unequivocal. “I’m horrified, and if this is true he needs to step down immediately,” she told reporters.
“It’s a nasty story, I don’t know anything about it,” added Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.). Asked if Moore should withdraw, Shelby said, “Let’s see how the story runs.”
The report quotes Leigh Corfman, who Moore reportedly started the sexual relationship with her when he was an assistant district attorney in 1979.
“According to the Post, Moore approached Corfman outside a courtroom in Etowah County. At the time, Corfman was sitting with her mother. Moore got her phone number and then days later took her to his house in the woods and kissed her. During a second visit, according to Corfman, Moore took her clothes off as well as his own and ran his hand over her body and her hand over his underwear.”
The Post report also said three other women it interviewed said Moore pursued them while he was in his 30s and they were teenagers. However, those women say he didn’t try to initiate sexual contact with them.
Moore issued a statement to the Post denying the accusations.
“These allegations are completely false and are a desperate political attack by the National Democrat Party and the Washington Post on this campaign,” Moore said in the statement.
“This troubling news is so recent that people are trying to understand what hit us,”Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn told reporters. “I think people are trying to sort it out and figure out what the appropriate response is, including Sen. Strange.”
Cornyn also suggested that Corfman’s willingness to go on the record about the sexual contact does not yet prove Moore’s guilt.
“If it is true, I don’t think his candidacy is sustainable,” Cornyn said. “But we believe in a presumption of innocence until proven guilty. And so I think it’s important for the facts to come out.”
Cornyn’s response appears to be the most level-headed and fair of the bunch so far. Only one of the women said things got sexual, and even then, she didn’t say it wasn’t consensual or that any kind of crime was committed. Also, there’s the part where all this occurred 40 years ago, and that there’s nothing wrong with a person in their 30’s pursuing teenage women, assuming they’re legal. The trouble comes from the situation with the 14-year old, and what exactly took place.
Regardless, this report could sink Moore’s ship, as the media’s having a field day with it. Which is funny, considering that they haven’t dared reported on and condemn Bill Clinton’s litany of sex crimes. People may think what Moore’s accused of is distasteful, but so long as everything was consensual, legal across the board, and he wasn’t cheating on a wife or something, then there really shouldn’t be any problem. But the way this story’s being framed, true or not, it’s going to be difficult for people to overlook.
Source: Politico