Louisiana Rep. Vance McAllister promised to stay in office even after calls for his resignation were made over a leaked video of him kissing the wife of a friend.
Gov. Bobby Jindal, the state’s Republican governor, urged McAllister to resign, after the representative said he wanted to work things out with his family in private. Jindal further said McAllister’s actions are an embarrassment.
Roger Villere, state GOP chairman, also called for his resignation and said that McAllister’s hypocrisy can only be solved by an immediate resignation. However, the congressman still refuses to budge from his seat.
Jennifer Dunagin, spokeswoman for McAllister said that there are no plans to resign yet.
A few are less aggressive towards the congressman. House speaker John Boehner admitted to speaking with McAllister and said that the congressman has decisions to make. According to him, all members must uphold the highest ethical standards, and that McAllister is no different.
Friends and backers have said that they expect him to fight for his job and his family.
A weekly newspaper released the video of him kissing Melissa Peacock, a member of the congressional payroll. She submitted her resignation on Monday.
No one knows how the video made its way to the Ouachita Citizen, but McAllister’s office denied rumors that he will conduct an FBI investigation into finding out who leaked it. Instead, a statement from his office said that he is focused on regaining the trust he has lost.
According to The Washington Post, odds say that the chances of him still being in office next year is not great. Based on an analysis of 38 scandals since 1974, only 39% of government officials embroiled in sex scandals were re-elected.
Politically, McAllister was considered an unknown when he ran for office in 2013. Many believe that his strong showing in the race was due to the endorsement of Phil Robertson, who stars in the Duck Dynasty TV series.
McAllister caught smooching another man’s wife
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