Evangelist: I Bought Meth From Gay Escort

(CBS/AP)  The president of the National Association of Evangelicals, suspected of paying a gay man for sex, has admitted "some guilt," according to church official.

Rev. Ted Haggard has said he purchased methamphetamine from a gay escort after contacting him for a massage, but never used the drugs and threw them away, according to an interview he gave with KUSA-TV. He said he met the escort in a Denver hotel room.

"I bought it for myself but never used it," he said. "I was tempted, but I never used it."

Haggard, 50, said he never had sex with Mike Jones, a 49-year-old male prostitute who sparked the scandals when he told a radio station he had had a three-year sexual relationship with the minister.

Haggard said he did get a massage from Jones after being referred to him by a Denver hotel.

Haggard, an outspoken opponent of gay marriage, has given up his post while a church panel investigates the allegations. He resigned as president of the 30 million-member association Thursday, as well as his post as head of his 14,000-member New Life Church pending an investigation.

Jones admits he was motivated by politics — Haggard opposes a gay marriage amendment now on the ballot in Colorado, reports CBS News correspondent Byron Pitts.

There's also a separate measure would establish the legality of domestic partnerships providing same-sex couples with many of the rights of married couples.

The accusation could also affect several Republicans running for Congress in Colorado, reports CBS News correspondent Gloria Borger.

But in terms of the larger picture, one Republican political consultant told Borger, "On a scale of 1 to 10, of all the things we've got to worry about, this is a 1."

The acting senior pastor at New Life, Ross Parsley, told CBS affiliate KKTV-TV of Colorado Springs Haggard admitted that some of the accusations were true.

"I just know that there has been some admission of indiscretion, not admission to all of the material that has been discussed, but there is an admission of some guilt," Parsley told the station. Parsley added that the church remains "100 percent for him."

Parsley did not elaborate, but in an e-mail addressed to congregants, he wrote that the church's four-member board of overseers had since met with Haggard.

"It is important for you to know that he confessed to the overseers that some of the accusations against him are true," Parsley wrote. "He has willingly and humbly submitted to the authority of the board of overseers, and will remain on administrative leave during the course of the investigation," CBS station KCNC-TV in Denver reports.

In a statement Thursday night, Haggard said, "I am voluntarily stepping aside from leadership so that the overseer process can be allowed to proceed with integrity. I hope to be able to discuss this matter in more detail at a later date. In the interim, I will seek both spiritual advice and guidance."

Carolyn Haggard, a spokeswoman for the New Life Church and the pastor's niece, said a four-member church panel would investigate the allegations. The board has the authority to discipline Haggard, including removing him from ministry work.

Church members were stunned by the allegations.

"It's political, right before the elections," said Brian Boals, a New Life member for 17 years.

Church member E.J. Cox, 25, called the claims "ridiculous."

"People are always saying stuff about Pastor Ted," she said. "You just sort of blow it off. He's just like anyone else in the public eye."

Jones said he decided to go public because of the political fight over the amendments.

• 1
• 2
• Next Page »

[jn122736]

It%u2019s not only televangelists who are in it for the money. I remember when I was a child some local preachers would regularly visit needy and or hurting families in their areas and offer comfort and help in many ways. Their mode of travel was often no better than those they were trying to help. To day most are preachers driving ultra expensive automobiles and living in ultra expensive homes and preaching in multi-million dollar churches, financed by their congregation. Many of who go home from church after paying %u201Cties%u201D and doing without things they really need, sometimes even food. I never see them visiting needy folks outside the church. I don%u2019t attend any church any more but I have read the bible a lot and the phrase I recall best fitting these modern day preachers is %u201CThey have their reward%u201D.

[processor2]

Haggard says he bought Meth, but didn't use it.

Sounds familiar

Kinda like: " I smoked, but didn't inhale"


PS

Good thing Barney Frank is a Democrat, or else liberals would be upset with him, too.

Isn't it just terrible when a Republican acts like a Democrat

snicker, snicker, bwa,ha,ha,ha

[hissteps4u]

Nothing rings true for this Man of God when it leaves his Lips. I just went for Massage, I bought the drugs was tepted then tossed them out. Hog Wash I dont believe it.

It's a lame attempt to repair his Position as the Leader of the highiest membership evengelical curch and National membership.

He s taking a Fall and doing Damage control, Any one remember Jimmy Swagart??

not much different except he is clinging to this I did not do it.

At least Swaggar eventualy came forward and confessed.

Time will tell but I d nt believe his excuse!

Yes ministers are People and subject to the same temptations we all are and when you hold hem up on a pedestle the fall is all the greater

Jim Baker, Swaggart, Many of the Majo players of their Day have tumbled to obsecurity relegated to the side lines of History, foot notes onPower and the things people in power will do in excess.

Lesson in all this.

Dont place your Faith in men but in God for Mankind will surley let you down every time

[processor2]

Haggard says he bought Meth, but didn't use it.

Sounds familiar

Kinda like: " I smoked, but didn't inhale"


PS

Good thing Barney Frank is a Democrat, or else liberals would be upset with him, too.

Isn't it just terrible when a Republican acts like a Democrat

snicker, snicker, bwa,ha,ha,ha

[marlon7771]

Does anybody have any roasted crow for dinner tonight? I will come over for dinner anytime. I just knew that Ted Haggard did not do what he was accused of.

[vincentj46]

Right on Rod!! He spoke the exact truth. As soon as we put our faith in any person we are headed toward disapointment. Look at CBS for example. We sure can't count on you guys for an unbiased, truthful look at the current or even past events. You guys are such elitist windbags. I refer to you as the propaganda arm of the Democratic Party. That's one reason you're in third place. The only reason I watch your show is for the musical guests.

As far as the Parsley interview goes, the questions you asked were pointed and leading, who%u2019da thunk it? I'll answer one for you in reference to the hypocrisy matter. No. Having homosexual desires and passions, does not mean someone is a hypocrite if they don't support gay marriage. Are you a hypocrite, persumable being straight, if you do support it? As far as his position as pastor/teacher in the church goes, he should have stepped down when he saw himself slipping into this depth of what the Bible deems sin. His congragation deserved better. Of course the timing of the allegations is somewhat suspect. Who%u2019da thunk it? As I alluded to before, we are not even close to being perfect...not a single one of us. That's why Christ had to intervene.

CarlyLaine

I used to be one of you right wing nut jobs. but I couldnt deal witht the fact that I was f'ed up and didn't feel right putting on a show.

I fail and stumble all the time, but i dont try to play it off like i'm a perfect person.

i don't condemn anyone to hell, i just feel strongly that someone who puts themself out there in the public and then everything that they teach is total bs. how many people do you think will abandon their faith because this jerk led them there and then bailed on them.

im not liberal or conservative - i just dont care anymore because everyone is playing a game. we all just need to be real instead of bandstanding on these fake moral facades.

[agnim]

jsilver2th

Do you know if Haggard got any of his **** massages at the white house? LOL

Cheney's daughter no doubt bring her gay pride (false) acquaintances to visit her pa at the 'log cabin'? LOL

[agnim]

gramto11

"While I think what this so-called preacher has done is despicable, I can't help but wonder if Agnim doesn't "protest to much"?"

LOL

We protest because the homosexual deviance is ravaging and undermining the western/christian societies precisely because the societally worthless behavior has its genesis in the very churches of sodomy that is being two-faced about homosexuality.

If we were protesting from generations ago when children were first being sodomized and traumatized by christians in their churches of child sodomy, then this homosexual deviance wouldn't have spread so horrendously across western/christian societies.
Filth-stirring f@gs would have been rightly closeted as sickos and not being deluded that they are mentally healthy humans.

[grumpas]

aardbear! When righteous people hold themselves above everyone else when it comes to moral's, they are bound to be made fun of when they fall back into the cesspool their righteousness has created! They claim all the rest of us should follow their example! Well, I think I will pass! I am not a religious person but I do know right from wrong! Which I hate to say it. But the average Christian in this country doesn't! A lot of them were ardent followers of the immoral Bush (the last time I was in church lying, cheating and stealing were big time moral infractions)! Choosing to ignore his blatant moral infractions so they could impose their value's on everyone else! Now it's come back to bite them in the butt! Eventually the chicken's always come home to roost!