The Army Reserve Wednesday morning confirmed it launched an investigation into North Carolina Senate candidate Cal Cunningham related to issues of an extramarital affair.
The investigation comes one day after news broke that a Los Angeles public relations executive Arlene Todd Guzman confirmed to the Associated Press that she had a physical relationship with Cunningham on at least one occasion.
“The Army Reserve is investigating the matters involving Lt. Col. James Cunningham. As such, we are unable to provide further details at this time,” Simon B. Flake, chief of media relations and public information for the Army Reserve Strategic Communications, told WRAL in a statement.
Todd Guzman’s admission came after Cunningham, a former North Carolina state senator and Army Reserve officer who is married with two children, apologized on Saturday for exchanging sexually explicit text messages with Todd Guzman that emerged last week.
The North Carolina Democrat is in a neck-and-neck race against Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who was recently diagnosed with COVID-19. The campaign is being closely watched as a race that could flip the Senate to Democratic control if Tillis loses.
Tillis previously stated that Cunningham’s actions warranted military disciplinary action, and Republicans went after Cunningham, saying that he may have violated Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice under the section of adultery, citing his rank as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve and his mistress’s status as the wife of an Army combat veteran.
In one of the most recent texts obtained by the Associated Press, Guzman Todd texted a friend about an intimate meeting with Cunningham at his home and called the encounter “weird.” She also became angry with Cunningham in another text because she felt he did not pay enough attention to her and toyed with the idea of ruining his political career.
In addition to Guzman Todd, an allegation of another extramarital affair was made on Facebook by attorney Erin Brinkman, who claimed her “good friend” has also been in a relationship with Cunningham since 2012.
“Cal Cunningham has hid in a ‘windowless basement’ and behind Schumer-scripted talking points about ‘honor,’ ‘duty,’ and ‘integrity,’” said Joanna Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. “Now that there is a formal investigation, Cunningham must come out of hiding and answer for his misconduct and hypocrisy.”
Cunningham is scheduled to appear in virtual events Wednesday night with Democratic Sens. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Cory Booker of New Jersey.
