Former Family Values Ohio Legislator Wes Goodman Had History Of "Predatory Behavior"

Wes Goodman (center)

In the aftermath of disgraced Ohio state Rep. Wes Goodman resignation last week over an "inappropriate" incident in his Ohio office with another man, more revelations have emerged about Goodman's apparent double life as a closeted gay man.

From Cleveland.com:

In public, Wesley Goodman was an up-and-coming conservative who championed pro-family and anti-LGBT causes and aspired to someday run for Congress.

In private, he exchanged salacious texts and emails with gay men he met on Capitol Hill, and sent sexually suggestive messages to young men he met through conservative circles who were too intimidated to publicly complain, according to three people who knew him when he worked in Washington.

Goodman's double life ended this week when he resigned from the Ohio legislature after House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger was alerted to Goodman's involvement in "inappropriate behavior" with a man in his state office in Columbus.

[snip]

Johnny Hadlock, then a staffer for another GOP congressman in Washington, said he met Goodman in 2010. Hadlock said he confided in Goodman that he was a closeted gay man and the two began exchanging text messages.

In an interview with cleveland.com, Hadlock described the messages as sexting and gay banter, and said he engaged in phone sex with Goodman.

"Wes never sexually harassed me -- we both knew what we were doing and we were both fine doing it," Hadlock said.

[snip]

Another conservative with Ohio ties told cleveland.com that Goodman engaged in predatory behavior toward younger men after leaving Jordan's office, sending inappropriate material and propositioning them via text message and Facebook messenger.

The conservative operative said he'd target college kids who wanted to have him as a mentor and were scared to report his sexual advances because they didn't want to damage their own careers.

[snip]

Another former GOP congressional staffer, Chris Donnelly, told cleveland.com that Goodman replied to a Craigslist post on a board for men seeking men, and the two had a sexual encounter in 2008. In a response shown to cleveland.com, an email account using the name Brady Murphey described himself as a "straight/curious" guy who needed to be discreet.

"Maybe we can hang and see what's up, no expectations really," the response said. "But your post seemed cool so let me know bro."

Donnelly said Goodman was "all over Craigslist" and responded to several ads posted by Donnelly and other gay men.

"It became a running joke between me and my gay friends on Capitol Hill," Donnelly said. "It's not like it was some one-off thing."

The Washington Post published a story on Friday that alleged two years ago, at an event headed up by anti-LGBT hate group leader Tony Perkins, Goodman invited an 18 year old to "crash" in his hotel room. When the teen woke up his pants were unbuttoned and Goodman was pulling his zipper down. Perkins apparently helped cover up the incident.

There's really only one scenario where I think it's appropriate to out someone and this is it. When a politician spends his career pushing anti-LGBT policies while privately getting a little something something on the side, that's when it's time to call folks out.

I feel for Goodman's family and friends but this is truly the bed he made.

Journalist Caleb Hull says Goodman practically begged him to have sex with Goodman and/or his wife. Check out screen captures of messages this "family values" guy sent: