Politician Caught
Righteous Indignation
Slate reported the bizarre interview of Alabama Senate Candidate John Merrill. The politician was on conservative talk radio defending himself from accusations of adultery. Merrill is a traditional Christian family man with a wife and two kids.
“Let me say unequivocally that these baseless allegations are entirely false,” Merrill said of the allegations. “Beginning in 2019, this woman began texting and communicating with me through social media. While we exchanged texts and she even visited the office, it was clear she had other intentions that were bordering on obsession. I alerted my wife, Cindy, to this and we both agreed to cut off any and all communication with her.”
He went even further labeling the woman he denied having an affair with as “stalking” and “harassing” him. However, rumors of marital infidelity may affect his future Senate campaign in 2022.
“People are attempting to use this to either advance the candidacy of other people, or they are doing it primarily to harm me and my family,” Merrill said. “It’s very frustrating and very sad.”
Tale of the Tape
The woman accusing him of an affair was a legal assistant. The woman said the affair took place over three years. She provided AL.com with a 17-minute recording of a phone call between the two that confirmed the affair. On the recording was a discussion of “various sexual acts they performed during dozens of romantic encounters.” Merrill was caught in a blatant lie.
When presented with the recording, Merrill then simply acknowledged the affair. Incredible turn-around! He owes his mistress an apology.
“It’s clear that I had an inappropriate relationship with her, and it is not something that I am proud of or something that is something that—I’m very disappointed in myself,” Merrill told AL.com. “I’m also disappointed that I allowed my family to be embarrassed by this action. And it’s something that I certainly will always regret because of the pain that it has caused my family.”
Merrill said he would not resign from his current post, which runs until January 2023. His mistress also accused Merrill of using racist language to describe Black people in the state. He should resign immediately.
Another One?
Meanwhile, Republican Missouri state Representative Rick Roeber resigned after his own children accused him of sexual and physical abuse. The abuse allegedly occurred in the early 1990s. Roeber’s adult children spoke publicly of the alleged abuse to the Kansas City Star. A 2001 investigation by Family Services found probable cause that “sexual maltreatment” had occurred. His sons claim Roeber would physically abuse them.
Roeber claims the children have a mental illness that he referred to as Parental Alienation Syndrome. No such thing exists. At least, he had the decency to resign unlike his colleague Josh Hawley.