Labor Secretary Alex Acosta Resigns Amid Epstein Controversy

Former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta

The New York Times reports that R. Alexander Acosta, his embattled secretary of labor, will resign following controversy over a lenient plea deal he made with Jeffrey Epstein when he was a prosecutor in Florida.

Donald Trump made the announcement as he left the White House for travel to Milwaukee and Cleveland.

Mr. Trump said Mr. Acosta called him this morning and that it was Mr. Acosta’s decision to resign.

Trump continues to moan about how poorly Acosta has been treated over a 12-year-old case.

But, you don't hear him expressing concern for the allegedly victims in the Jeffrey Epstein case.

Epstein aside, Acosta's relationships in the White House wore thin in recent months.

In January, acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney cut back Acosta’s authority by requiring three White House aides to sit in on all the agency's regulatory meetings https://t.co/7XDLAL1ll5

— POLITICO (@politico) July 12, 2019

Ah yes, the real victim here: Alexander Acosta https://t.co/O4WNWCmHf7

— Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) July 12, 2019

Here's Alexander Acosta gaslighting by trying to make it sound like 2007 was an eternity ago.

"Today's world does not allow some of the victim-shaming that could take place at trial 12 years ago."

(Christine Blasey Ford & E. Jean Carroll would likely disagree.) pic.twitter.com/od3pUWEJpk

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 10, 2019

Michael Reiter, former police chief in Palm Beach, is willing to testify that people associated with both Acosta and Trump pressured him not to arrest Epstein.

— Pesach Lattin פסח לאטין (@pacelattin) July 12, 2019

Report: Trump Lawyer Handled A Situation For Jerry Falwell Jr Before 'Game-Changing' Endorsement

Jerry Falwell Jr. (image via Twitter)

Reuters reports that Donald Trump's 'fixer,' Michael Cohen, says he helped evangelist Jerry Falwell Jr. with a “situation” regarding some racy photos.

And shortly thereafter, Falwell surprised the world by endorsing Cohen’s boss for president.

Months before evangelical leader Jerry Falwell Jr.’s game-changing presidential endorsement of Donald Trump in 2016, Falwell asked Trump fixer Michael Cohen for a personal favor, Cohen said in a recorded conversation reviewed by Reuters.

Falwell, president of Liberty University, one of the world’s largest Christian universities, said someone had come into possession of what Cohen described as racy “personal” photographs ― the sort that would typically be kept “between husband and wife,” Cohen said in the taped conversation.

According to a source familiar with Cohen’s thinking, the person who possessed the photos destroyed them after Cohen intervened on the Falwells’ behalf.

Now you know why Falwell directed his evangelical flock to support the man who cheated on his wives, cheated the vendors who worked for him, and bragged that he liked to "grab 'em by the p*ssy."

It will come as no surprise that the Falwells declined to comment for the article.

Out Mayor Pete Buttigieg Shades Mike Pence As 'Cheerleader For Porn Star Presidency'

South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, in the hunt for the Democratic presidential nomination, said Sunday night that he and Vice President Mike Pence (former governor of Indiana) have different views on biblical scripture.

CNN’s Jake Tapper, hosting a town hall in Austin, Texas, asked Buttigieg if Pence would be a better or worse president than Donald Trump.

After several moments of bewilderment, the 37-year-old mayor said that, while he disagreed with Pence ‘ferociously’ on things, he always felt Pence “at least believes in our institutions and he’s not personally corrupt.”

However, Buttigieg wondered aloud, “But then, how could he get onboard with this presidency?”

The openly gay mayor shared that his view of the Bible is based on "protecting the stranger and the prisoner and the poor person - that idea of ‘welcome,’” while Pence's take on scripture seems to have ”a lot more to do with sexuality and a certain view of rectitude."

“But, even if you but into that, how could he allow himself to become the cheerleader of the porn star presidency?” asked Buttigieg, referencing the allegations that Donald Trump made hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

“Is it that he stopped believing in scripture, when he started believing in Donald Trump? I don’t know. I don’t know.”

Mayor Pete Buttigieg on @VP: "How could he allow himself to become the cheerleader of the porn star presidency? Is it that he stopped believing in scripture when he started believing in Donald Trump?" https://t.co/0w8SGn2Fw9 #CNNTownHall pic.twitter.com/7F6pvSfNOF

— State of the Union (@CNNSotu) March 11, 2019

The Harvard alum also talked on coming out as gay in his traditionally conservative state.

“Frankly, when I first got into politics, elected politics at the beginning of this decade in Indiana — In Mike Pence’s Indiana — I thought you could either be out or you could be in office, but you couldn't be both,” Buttigieg said.

“I came out in the middle of a re-election campaign because it was just that time in my life when I had to do that,” he told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “Pence was governor. We weren’t sure what it would do to my political future in a socially conservative community.”

“I wound up getting re-elected with 80 percent of the vote,” he concluded.

Asked how he could be qualified for the White House having never held statewide office, Buttigieg pointed to his resume: “I actually think that experience is one of the best reasons for somebody like me to be in this — I have more years of government experience than the president.”

“I have more years of executive government experience than the Vice President, and more military experience than anyone to walk into that office since George H. W. Bush,” said the former Navy intelligence officer and veteran of the war in Afghanistan. “Experience is what qualifies me to have a seat at this table.”

Mayor Pete Buttigieg: “I get that I’m the young guy in the conversation, but I would say experience is what qualifies me to have a seat at this table” https://t.co/TEZ8PRGJop #CNNTownHall pic.twitter.com/u3WVmjhirM

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) March 11, 2019

Openly Gay Senate Majority Leader Resigns Amid Charges Of Using Campaign Funds For Personal Use

Former Nevada lawmaker Kelvin Atkinson

Nevada's Democratic Senate Majority Leader Kelvin Atkinson resigned from his legislative seat on Tuesday in an emotional speech telling his colleagues he would plead guilty to charges of using campaign funds for personal use, according to The Nevada Independent.

It was recently discovered that Atkinson had misappropriated hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds for personal use.

Misuse of campaign funds is a state and federal crime which carries a possible prison sentence of 20 years.

“I am embarrassed, I am ashamed and I am truly, truly sorry,” Atkinson said a tear-filled speech from the floor of the Senate. “I pray for your forgiveness.”

“I hope to have the opportunity to prove someday that this is not who I am, just something I did wrong,” said the 49-year-old former lawmaker.

“I have no one to blame but myself,” he added. “I just pray that someday I will have the opportunity to contribute to my community once again in a meaningful way.”

Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak publicly denounced Atkinson’s deeds in a statement Tuesday morning.

“I am extremely disappointed in the news that Kelvin Atkinson misappropriated campaign funds for his personal use,” the governor said. “This admitted violation of the law goes against the integrity every elected officer in the state of Nevada should uphold.”

“Saddened and disappointed” were the words used by the executive director of the Nevada Senate Democratic Caucus, Cheryl Bruce.

Atkinsons’s deputy, state Sen. Nicole Cannizzaro, is reported to replaced him. She will be Nevada’s first female Senate Majority Leader.

First elected to the Nevada state Assembly in 2002, Atkinson joined the Senate in 2012. He was the Silver state’s first openly gay Senate leader, and only the third African American to hold the position.

Atkinson famously came out during a 2013 debate in the Senate regarding repealing Nevada’s ban on same-sex marriage.

The following year, he and his husband were among the first same-sex couples to be married in Nevada.

As a proud gay Democratic Nevadan, living in Las Vegas for 15 years, I'm disgusted that Atkinson would be so unethical.

There are no excuses for such a blatant disregard for the law and personal integrity.

I am appreciative that Atkinson seems to be taking full responsibility for his actions, but it's reprehensible that he so flagrantly broke the law.

Everyone has to follow the law, but being a minority and gay means having to work twice as hard to succeed. Any and all episodes like this only set us further back.

(h/t Nevada Independent)

Virginia Governor Apologizes For Racist Photo, Then Claims It's Not Him

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam addresses blackface scandal

High profile Democrats are calling for their colleague, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, to step down after photos from his 1984 medical school yearbook appear to show him dressing up in racist costumes.

The Virginian-Pilot obtained a photo of his yearbook page showing what appears to be men in either blackface or a Ku Klux Klan uniform, although it wasn't clear which person was the future governor.

BREAKING: Gov. Ralph Northam yearbook page shows blackface and Klan photohttps://t.co/6A89ejp5Ho

— The Virginian-Pilot (@virginianpilot) February 1, 2019

Initially, Northam issued an apology:

“I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now,” Northam said. “This behavior is not in keeping with who I am today and the values I have fought for throughout my career in the military, in medicine and in public service. But I want to be clear, I understand how this decision shakes Virginians’ faith in that commitment. I recognize that it will take time and serious effort to heal the damage this conduct has caused. I am ready to do that important work. The first step is to offer my sincerest apology and to state my absolute commitment to living up to the expectations Virginians set for me when they elected me to be their governor.”

And that was followed by a video where he again asked for forgiveness but promised to serve out his term as governor which ends in 2022.

My fellow Virginians, earlier today I released a statement apologizing for behavior in my past that falls far short of the standard you set for me when you elected me to be your governor. I believe you deserve to hear directly from me. pic.twitter.com/1rSw1oxfrX

— Ralph Northam (@GovernorVA) February 2, 2019

But this morning, Northam is reversing saying it isn't him in the photo.

According to today's Virginian-Pilot, he called state Sen. Louise Lucas to say, "I"m not going to resign because it's not me in the photo."

Her response - “Then you waited too long to say it wasn’t you."

“He should have said that yesterday then,” Lucas told The Washington Post. “He just told me he didn’t think it’s him. And I said, ‘Ralph, this is a day late and a dollar short. It’s too late.’”

Virginia Democrats have asked the governor to step down as well as former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

We made the decision to let Governor Northam do the correct thing and resign this morning - we have gotten word he will not do so this morning.

— Virginia Democrats (@vademocrats) February 2, 2019

Former HUD Secretary Julián Castro was the first 2020 Democratic presidential candidate to call on Northam to resign, followed by Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, and Kirsten Gillibrand.

Democratic New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy also called on Northam to resign.

Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax would become governor should Northam step down.

Diocese Of Brooklyn To Pay $27.5 Million To 4 Men In Sex Abuse Settlement

(image via Wikimedia)

The New York Times reports that the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn will pay out $27.5 million to four men who were sexually abused as children by a religion teacher.

According to the settlement, each of the men will receive $6.8 million.

That amount ranks as one of the highest figures paid to survivors of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

According to New York Law Journal, Angelo Serrano, a volunteer and director of religious studies at St. Lucy-St. Patrick’s, allegedly abused the plaintiffs between 2003 and 2009 when they were between the ages of 8 and 12 years old.

Serrano pleaded guilty in 2011 and is currently serving a 15 year prison sentence.

This comes in the aftermath of a stunning grand jury report in Pennsylvania which found more than 1,000 children had been the targets of sexual misconduct by hundreds of priests over decades.

Sparked in part by that grand jury report, the New York State attorney general announced two weeks ago a statewide civil investigation into sex abuse allegations within the Catholic Church and its possible cover-up by church leaders. The New York AG has reportedly issued subpoenas to every Catholic diocese in the state.

HuffPost: How The Miss America Pageant's CEO Really Talks About The Winners

Miss America Organization CEO Sam Haskell

Writing for the Huffington Post, reporter Yashar Ali dropped a bombshell today as he revealed several internal emails obtained from the Miss America Organization that shows how the folks at the top really feel about their pageant winners.

Name-calling, slut-shaming and fat-shaming are all involved.

From the article:

In late August 2014, the CEO of the Miss America Organization, Sam Haskell, sent an email to the lead writer of the Miss America pageant telecast, Lewis Friedman, informing him of a change he wanted to make in the script: “I have decided that when referring to a woman who was once Miss America, we are no longer going to call them Forever Miss Americas....please change all script copy to reflect that they are Former Miss Americas!”

Friedman replied, “I’d already changed “Forevers” to “Cunts.” Does that work for you?”

Haskell’s short reply came quickly: “Perfect...bahahaha.”

At that point, Haskell had been the leader of Miss America for nine years, after rising through the ranks at a top Hollywood talent agency. Many prior winners, or as they’re called, “formers,” consider the pageant a wonderful, wholesome activity for young women. But Haskell’s behavior behind closed doors shows he regularly maligned, fat-shamed and slut-shamed the former Miss Americas, calling them shocking names and in one case laughing at the suggestion that one of the women should die.

That's just the beginning.

In one email that discussed the passing of former Miss America Mary Ann Mobley, a MAO executive wrote: "It should have been (former Miss America) Kate Shindle."

Another exchange about former Miss America Mallory Hagen wondered if four executives at the MAO were the "only four" men who didn't have sex with her.

There's much more at the link. Below is The Today Show's segment on the story.

7. Today Show segment about my story pic.twitter.com/GuwnJ80YHh

— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) December 22, 2017

Tweet Of The Day

U.S. agencies are examining intercepted communications for links between Trump associates and Russiahttps://t.co/20naPzZlad

— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 20, 2017

I'm just going to leave this right here.

Happy Inauguration Day!

#AndSoItBegins

Internet Meme Of The Day

(via Twitter)

Department of Human Services Called Police Over Concern For Minor At Duggar Home

In Touch Weekly, which broke the Duggar family scandal, advanced that there would "more" to come regarding the "19 Kids and Counting" clan, and it's arrived.

According to the tabloid, the police were recently called in when a representative from the Department of Human Services was denied access to see a particular minor when notified via emergency call.

The Duggars made no mention of the fact that they have been under investigation again, but In Touch discovered what they are hiding via another Freedom of Information Act request that produced the 911 call.

After identifying himself as a Washington Country DHS employee and stating the Duggar family address, the caller tells the 911 operator, “We have an investigation and I guess they’re not being cooperative. We have to see the child to make sure the child is all right. So we just need police assistance.”

DHS records are not available to the public so it is unknown what prompted the investigation. Experts tell In Touch that an investigation can be triggered by a hotline complaint, even an anonymous one, if the trained operator determines the allegation is serious enough that it meets standards for child abuse maltreatment laws.

And on and on it goes...

Duggar Sisters On Molestation Scandal: It Was Just Mild Touching Mostly While The Girls Were Asleep

Jill Dillard and Jessa Seewald spoke to Megyn Kelly of Fox News last night regarding the ongoing scandal surrounding their brother Josh Duggar, who sexually abused the two of them (and three other girls) back when Josh was a teenager.

The long and short of the appearance is the sisters say Josh Duggar's behavior wasn't all that bad because it was just "mild inappropriate touching on fully clothed victims; most of it while girls were sleeping."

And they totally forgive him.

Jill Dillard:

"I think in the case of what Josh did, it was very wrong. I'm not going to justify anything he did or say it was okay or permissible. But I do want to speak up in his defense against people who are calling him a child molester or pedophile or rapists. That is so overboard and a lie really. People get mad at me for saying that, but I can say this. I was one of the victims. I can speak out and set the record straight here."

Jessa Seewald:

"I was one of the victims so I can speak out."

"In Josh's case, he was a boy, young boy in puberty, and a little too curious about girls and that got him into some trouble. And he made some bad choices, but really the extent of it was mild inappropriate touching on fully clothed victims. Most of it while girls were sleeping."

"MOST of it?" So some of it was while someone WASN'T sleeping?

Most teenagers look at a Playboy, watch porn or make out with a girl when they are "curious."

Watch the interview below:

Armistead Maupin Weighs In On Gay Hoteliers Debacle

Writing on his Facebook page today, legendary gay author Armistead Maupin had this to say about the ongoing scandal/boycott of NYC gay hoteliers Ian Reisner and Mati Weiderpass:

"I'm the only gay man I know who has never been to Fire Island. I have not made a point of staying away -- its charms are legendary, of course -- but the occasion has simply never presented itself.

"Now, it's quite likely that I will remain forever virginal in that regard. Or at least until these guys are no longer collecting money at the dock. When I coined the term "A-gay" forty years ago, these were just the sort of creeps I had in mind. It was never intended as something to aspire to."

The post was in response to a less than flattering profile in the New York Times about the two men and the scandal surrounding them.

Fox News Barely Mentioned Duggar Scandal At All

According to Media Matters, Fox News pretty much ignored the Josh Duggar/child molestation allegations that dominated much of last week's news cycle.

As many now know, last week In Touch magazine reported that in 2006, Jim Bob Duggar - patriarch of TLC's reality show 19 Kids and Counting - waited over a year before telling police that his son, Josh Duggar, had confessed to molesting several female minors, including his sisters, when he was a teenager.

In the aftermath of the revelations, TLC pulled 19 Kids from its schedule.

From Media Matters:

The revelations drew widespread criticism in the media, with many outlets pointing out the Duggar family's reputation as a torch-bearer for conservative values and strong involvement in Republican politics and anti-LGBT activism. The revelations look to many like hypocrisy from a family that's become a political powerhouse in socially conservative circles in recent years by wielding its reality show influence to stump for "family values," Republican politicians, and the repeal of legal protections for LGBT people.

But while MSNBC and CNN have reportedly heavily on the Duggar scandal, Fox News has largely ignored the story. According to a Media Matters analysis, Fox News spent less than two minutes covering the story between May 21 and May 25, compared to almost an hour of coverage from the other cable news networks.

Bolding is mine.

No big surprise here, although to see the actual disparity is telling. The Duggars are held up as bastions of morality by Fox News, so it's no wonder they don't want to highlight the clear hypocrisy in play here.

Erick Erickson Goes After Rep. Aaron Schock On Spending Public Funds

Congressman Aaron Schock of Illinois on one of "those" trips

Erick Erickson of Red State demands a resignation after "totally not gay" GOP Congressman Aaron Schock as more stories come to light about seemingly inappropriate spending habits.

I will not belabor the point.

Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL) Rep. Aaron Schock has proven himself incapable of handling his own money, the money of his donors, and taxpayer money. He has lived excessively off the backs of taxpayers who must be reimbursed and off of donors to whom he is now a servant.

His excuses are now met with revised excuses, further apologies, and corrections to corrected records of expenditures and campaign finance reports. He has lived a life as a celebrity in a city that more and more craves celebrity over competence in office.

His lack of responsibility with the funds of others shows him to lack the necessary integrity to handle the power of the purse in the House of Representatives, which remains the chief power of the House.

He should resign. Perhaps Downton Abbey needs someone else to fill the role of an American playboy chasing a Crawley. He can go spend time on the real set instead of trying to dress up his office at our expense or that of his donors.

Erickson also embeds in his post a link that shows Schock's "Heritage Actions Scorecard" at 45%, while the House Republican average is 61%.

Whatever that means...

It's Friday! Time For One More Aaron Schock Debacle

Blue Nation Review reports on Illinois Congressman Aaron Schock's sale of his home to a political donor for much more than the home was estimated to be worth.

Ruh-roh.

The month before the 2012 elections, Congressman Schock sold his house to a major Republican donor who was also one of his campaign supporters for a price that appears to far exceed the market value at the time.

Ali Bahaj – then a Vice President at Caterpillar – and his wife Gloria have donated more than $45,000 over the last decade to the Caterpillar PAC and various Republican officeholders – including Congressman Schock.

In fact, Federal Election Commission records show that Mr. and Mrs. Bahaj each made the maximum allowable donation to Aaron Schock’s campaign in 2008.

Congressman Schock on October 16, 2012 sold his home to the Bahajs for $925,000.

Zillow estimates that the house was worth approximately $695,000 that month. It’s possible Congressman Schock just got incredibly lucky finding the right buyer to throw him a life raft as homeowners around him were drowning.

But it begs the question: Was this transaction more than just luck?

Blue Nation Review found several nearby comparable homes that never got near that price range.

Well, things happen. I can attest that I got lucky when I sold my home in LA in 2004. I sold near the very top of the market then. Of course, I didn't happen to sell to a political donor of mine. (p.s. I don't have any political donors...)

According to Zillow, Schock sold his home at just about the rock bottom of the Peoria real estate market:

If Schock had sold to a stranger for a higher than average price, it might have been one thing. But, it seems that Congressman Schock sold his home at what appears to be an inflated price to a political donor.

First, "OfficeGate."

Then, racist top aide calls African-Americans zoo animals.

Now, this.

Happy Friday, Aaron Schock. I'll bet no one wanted to end the week more than you.

Good thing you've got your health.

Totally not gay Rep. Aaron Schock of Illinois

GOP House Majority Whip Scalise Acknowledges Speaking At "White Nationalist" Meeting

Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner surely didn't imagine he would begin the next Congress in this manner.

First, Republican Congressman Michael Grimm of Staten Island pleads guilty to felony tax evasion.

And now another GOP House member is in the middle of a racial controversy literally days before the Republican party is to take control of both chambers of Congress. 

The incoming House Majority Whip, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, has acknowledged that he spoke at a meeting of "white nationalist leaders" (read that "white supremacists") while serving as a state legislator in 2002.

The 48-year-old Scalise, who ascended to the House GOP’s third-ranking post earlier this year, confirmed through an adviser that he once appeared at a convention of the European-American Unity and Rights Organization.

That organization, founded by former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, has been called a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

As JoeMyGod points out, it should surprise no one that Scalise was the lead author of Louisiana's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.

Donors Feel "Duped" By Clay Aiken After Announcement of Docuseries Covering Congressional Campaign

Although former American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken came up second on election night for his now-failed Congressional campaign, he quickly announced that he would be the focus of a "docu-series" (read that "reality show") filmed throughout his campaign.

Apparently, this news has angered some of his supporters who now say they feel "duped" in regard to the filming that went on at events during the campaign.

Actor/producer Steve Tyler organized a fundraiser at the home of EXTRA correspondent Michael Corbett during the election cycle, and has written a letter to Aiken expressing his disappointment over Aiken's "back-up plan."

Hi Clay

Again, I am sorry for the loss on your bid for Congress, but apparently you had yourself covered with a reality TV show deal the entire time, just in case you didn't win. I cannot speak for the NC Voters or contributors, but I can speak for myself and many of your Los Angeles supporters when I say we feel duped, taken advantage of and lied to. When we were asked to sign waivers by your film crew, we were told it was for a BBC documentary that would not air here in the United States.

I have received calls from many supporters at the LA fundraiser all demanding that the LA event not be included in your TV show, as the crew misrepresented use of the filming. It is obvious you had this TV deal prior to the votes being tabulated as GOOD MORNING AMERICA announced the deal just hours after votes were barely in.

On a personal level, I worked very hard convincing people of your integrity, viability and the need for them to donate. It all reflects badly on my credibility amongst donors because of your actions. Now it looks like I deceived donors.

I do hope you realize this prevents you from ever running again for an elected office. You will no longer be credible as someone that wants to help the public more than your need for fame. Had the LA donors known you would personally benefit from their donations and appearance at the event - they would not have donated to your campaign. Your TV deal was announced all over TV yesterday and in the Los Angeles Times today.

It pains me to write this because I so believed your Congressional Campaign was for the right reasons and the greater good. Obviously I misjudged you.

Respectfully

Steve Tyler

Read more about the whole kerfuffle at FrontiersLA.

Carl DeMaio, San Diego Congressional Candidate, Accused Of Another Sexual Harassment Scandal

With only two days before this year's elections, San Diego's Carl DeMaio has yet another scandal facing him as a second staffer has come forward accusing him of sexual harassment:

Twenty-five year old Justin Harper, a Navy veteran,  began interning with DeMaio’s campaign in February. A month later he was hired as a regional political director whose job was to make phone calls and knock on doors to ask voters for their support.

From KPBS:

On Thursday, July 10, Harper said, he returned to DeMaio’s Miramar campaign office in the afternoon following a day of walking neighborhoods and knocking on doors for the campaign. He said there had been a news conference at the headquarters, so DeMaio and other staffers were still in the office.

According to a campaign press release, DeMaio had a news conference at noon that day to "blast sweeping Medicare cuts."

Harper said he went to the restroom and didn't know anyone was in there.

"I was at the urinal, and (DeMaio) came from the stall that was closest to the urinal and was kind of just standing there hovering," Harper said. "I turned around and realized that it was Carl. He had his pants up, but his fly was undone, and he had his hand grasping his genitals."

Harper said DeMaio didn't say anything to him, and he didn't say anything to DeMaio.

"I just walked out. I didn't say anything to him, I just left," Harper said.

As was the case in the other scandals, DeMaio's campaign has denied the allegation.

Gay GOP Congressional Candidate Carl DeMaio Has ANOTHER Scandal On His Hands

Yet another scandal is rocking the campaign of Republican US House candidate Carl DeMaio as accusations of secretly authoring a UT San Diego editorial that slammed his opponent, Democratic Rep. Scott Peters have surfaced today.

From NBC 7 in San Diego:

Former DeMaio staffer Todd Bosnich said he and campaign spokesman Dave McCulloch were the authors of an editorial entitled “Scott Peters and the Mount Soledad Shuffle.”

Bosnich accused DeMaio of improper sexual conduct in an interview with CNN on October 10. The DeMaio campaign says Bosnich was fired for plagiarism.

“I worked with Dave on it,” Bosnich said. “So it was, basically, the two of us who wrote it.”

The December 2013 editorial says that “The newly renewed debate over the Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial — and how Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego, actually feels about it — isn’t just a tiff over trivia. Instead, it’s a revealing reminder that Peters has a history of being both slippery and in substantive.”

The emails provided to NBC 7 indicate that after the editorial ran, McCulloch reached out to a consultant, other campaign staff and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) boasting that “UT San Diego scorched Peters over the Soledad Cross today, saying ‘Peters has a history of being both slippery and insubstantive’ and that ‘rewriting his own history and ducking responsibility for his actions have always come easy to Scott Peters.’"

In response, Alleigh Marree of the NRCC said: “This is great. Will be able to use these lines A LOT.”

In the email thread provided to NBC 7 Investigates, DeMaio wrote back, “Well, we did wrote (sic) it ourselves.”

William Osborne, editorial/opinion director of UT San Diego, told NBC 7 Investigates that UT San Diego editorial writer Chris Reed wrote the editorial. According to Osborne, the DeMaio campaign claimed the email thread had been fabricated.

“If that email is authentic, I cannot explain it and won’t speculate,” Osborne said. “I can only tell you that Carl DeMaio personally denied to me that he wrote it and said it (the email) was a ‘fabrication.’”

Bosnich said the email thread was not altered in any way, adding that the editorial appeared almost “exactly word for word” as he and McCulloch wrote it.

It's worth noting that UT Sand Diego has endorsed Carl DeMaio for Congress.

San Diego City Beat reporter Kelly Davis took her thoughts public when she felt she was being stonewalled by the DeMaio campaign:

OK, so now Carl DeMaio’s campaign is on the record saying Todd Bosnich used DeMaio's campaign email account to send inappropriate messages.
— Kelly Davis (@citybeatkelly) October 24, 2014

If you’re keeping track, DeMaio camp’s gone from no comment to Todd fabricated emails to Todd logged into Carl’s email account.
— Kelly Davis (@citybeatkelly) October 24, 2014

And, since I’ve gotten no response from DeMaio camp on this one, let’s make it public. Via former deputy campaign manager Alison Rentschler:
— Kelly Davis (@citybeatkelly) October 24, 2014

“I… can confirm Todd was not fired for plagiarism. Carl was very involved with the report and referred to it as his ‘baby.’” +
— Kelly Davis (@citybeatkelly) October 24, 2014

(via JMG)