In a bold move aimed at avoiding a disaster like the 1998 shock resignation of a GOP speaker elect caught cheating on his wife by porn king Larry Flynt, a key Republican is demanding that all leadership candidates withdraw if they have “any misdeeds” in their closet.
North Carolina Rep. Walter B. Jones cited the sex scandals that helped doom 1998 Speaker-elect Rep. Bob Livingston and former Speaker Newt Gingrich in demanding that the House leadership pressure candidates to come clean.
“I believe this question is important to the integrity of the House,” Jones hand wrote on his letter to House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers. The letter is shown below.
Jones, who did not hint of scandal in the current crop of leadership challengers, said that he has unfortunately seen immoral issues crop up unexpectedly in the House during his 20 years. “Some of the most difficult times have been when our Republican leaders or potential Republican leaders must step down because of skeletons in their closets. We’ve seen it with former Speaker Newt Gingrich and Rep. Bob Livingston, who ran for speaker in 1998,” he wrote.
“With all the voter distrust of Washington felt around the country, I’m asking that any candidate for speaker of the House, majority leader, and majority whip withdraw himself from the leadership election if there are any misdeeds he has committed since joining Congress that will embarrass himself, the Republican conference, and the House of Representatives if they become public,” he added.
The key figures running for top offices are Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the majority leader seeking the speakership in a race with House Government Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Jason Chaffetz and Rep. Dan Webster of Florida. Current House Whip Rep. Steve Scalise is running for majority leader.
In 1998, Hustler publisher Flynt ran a newspaper ad offering $1 million for unflattering stories about sexual affairs among GOP members and leaders. After he made claimed he had evidence against Livingston, the lawmaker resigned and even called on former President Clinton, who had sex in several times in the White House with a former intern, to quit also.
It is not known if Flynt or others are conducting a similar dragnet now.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
