by Frank James
ABC News is reporting that Rep. Tim Mahoney, a Florida Democrat who replaced Mark Foley of the congressional page scandal, paid his alleged mistress, according to past and present staff members who charge that he was trying to buy her silence.
According to ABC News's The Blotter:
West Palm Beach Congressman Tim Mahoney (D-FL), whose predecessor resigned in the wake of a sex scandal, agreed to a $121,000 payment to a former mistress who worked on his staff and was threatening to sue him, according to current and former members of his staff who have been briefed on the settlement, which involved Mahoney and his campaign committee.
Mahoney, who is married, also promised the woman, Patricia Allen, a $50,000 a year job for two years at the agency that handles his campaign advertising, the staffers said.
A Mahoney spokesperson would not answer questions about the alleged affair or the settlement, but said Allen resigned of her own accord and "has not received any special payment from campaign funds."
Senior Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives, including Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), the chair of the Democratic Caucus, have been working with Mahoney to keep the matter from hurting his re-election campaign, the Mahoney staffers said.
A spokesperson for Emanuel denies that account, but said Emanuel did confront Mahoney "upon hearing a rumor" about an affair in 2007 and "told him he was in public life and had a responsibility to act accordingly." The spokesperson added that it was a "private conversation" that had nothing to do with Mahoney's re-election prospects.
Emanuel's spokesperson said Emanual had not had any further contacts with Mahoney on the subject and did not know the woman involved worked on Mahoney's Congressional staff until informed by ABC News.
Mahoney was elected two years ago following the abrupt resignation of his disgraced predecessor, Republican Mark Foley, whose lewd internet messages to teenage boys and Congressional pages created a national outrage.
We're guessing we'll be hearing a lot more about this in coming days, especially from Republicans. You know what they say about payback.
Mahoney's district leans Republican. President Bush won 54 percent of the vote in 2004 and 53 percent in 2000. He's in a tough re-election race against Republican Tom Rooney, grandson of Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney.
Coincidentally, it was ABC News back in 2006 that broke the Foley story right before that election in which Republicans lost control of the House.
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Comments
What a frickin' idiot. If the Democratic National Committee wants to protect this clown, they'll lose a lot of esteem amongst the electorate nationwide.
Drop him and move on. Maintaining one seat is not worth the sell out.
Posted by: kg123 | October 13, 2008 4:49 PM
But it's OK, he's a Democrat.
Posted by: Typical Swamp 'Droid | October 13, 2008 5:34 PM
He needs to go...plain and simple. I'm tired of corrupt or unethical politicians no matter whether he has an R or a D in front of his name.
Posted by: bill "Hussein" r. | October 13, 2008 6:38 PM
Another idiot. What was he thinking. Put him in the Edwards cat. These people, Rep. or Dem. have brains as numb as their package.
Posted by: C.Hussein.Morris | October 13, 2008 7:31 PM
It's no big deal...Mahoney paid her off with his [own] money, not from campaign money.
This will make sense with the liberal loons.
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | October 13, 2008 7:43 PM
The best part of this is Mahoney was actually cheating on his wife with her while he was campaigning to "restore dignity" to Foley's seat. A real standup guy that Mahoney. Maybe Hightower and Hooks can bust him out of the clink once Pelosi's investigation is over.
Posted by: Jeff | October 13, 2008 10:18 PM
Notice Paulo and Droid that we do NOT say this is OK because he's a Democrat. Sorry to burst your snark bubble.
Posted by: DD | October 14, 2008 12:39 AM
I understand he has asked the "ETHICS" committee to investigate. It seems he and Rangel now have something in common.
Both have turned to the "ETHICS" committee to
CLEAR" their good name.
VJ Machiavelli
http://www.vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com
Posted by: VJ Machiavelli | October 14, 2008 1:21 AM
I just don't understand why these men can't keep it zipped!
Posted by: lochnessmonster | October 14, 2008 7:05 AM
This will go away also because he is a Democrat.
This year we have had Democrats behaving badly beginning with Eliot Spitzer and John Edwards.
When the Democrats took over the House of Representatives we had Nancy Pelosi and Rahm Emanuel telling us that they would be the most ethical group ever in Washington.
But now in 2008, William Jefferson is still a member.
Tim Mahoney is paying his mistress.
Nancy Pelosi is paying her husband with campaign funds.
Charlie Rangel fails to pay his taxes but is still in-charge of writing tax laws.
What happened?
Oops.
Power corrupts!
Posted by: Pat H | October 14, 2008 7:23 AM
Ahh, glad to see that the guy who replaced Mark Foley took such great strides to eliminate the "culture of corruption" that the Dems so derided in the 2006 election. But of course Mahoney will get a free pass and plenty of cover from the propaganda press.
Posted by: Vast Right Wing Conspirator | October 14, 2008 8:59 AM
This is just another kind of bailout if they paid her.
Drop him.
At least Foley can say he never cheated with a hot girl, right?
Posted by: No More Bailouts | October 14, 2008 9:56 AM
You bonehead republicans are amazing.....there are plenty of corrupt and unethical politicians on both sides. For every democrat you name, I could name as many republicans. Is there NO ISSUE you can't let Americans come together on to hold our own parties accountable?
Doesn't anybody get tired of defending our idiots?
Posted by: bill "Hussein" r. | October 14, 2008 9:58 AM
The point isn't that Dems are corrupt and Republicans aren't. No one is that naive. The point is the staggering hypocrisy of the left, with plenty of help from the propaganda press, in covering for their own while seeking to crucify any Republican who so much as entertains an impure thought. That's what's truly amazing about all this.
Posted by: Vast Right Wing Conspirator | October 14, 2008 10:18 AM
The point is the staggering hypocrisy of the left, with plenty of help from the propaganda press,
Posted by: Vast Right Wing Conspirator | October 14, 2008 10:18 AM
Oh...thanks for clearing that up. Thank god hypocrisy is obviously only a democrat problem. See...isn't it nice to see us come together to help the country?
GEEEEZZZ..are we in trouble!
Posted by: bill "Hussein" r. | October 14, 2008 10:32 AM
We are indeed in deep trouble, but not for the reasons you evidently think. One of my favorite nicknames for the Dem candidate is "OhBummer" because that is what the country is going to be groaning en masse about one year into his presidency.
Posted by: Vast Right Wing Conspirator | October 14, 2008 12:16 PM