Mahoney Admits Affairs, But Not A Crime

Congressman Says He Has Personal Failings But Broke No Laws And Will Not Resign

(AP)  U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, embroiled in an adultery scandal and a tight race for re-election, admitted Friday to having at least two affairs but insisted he broke no laws and will not resign.

The first-term Democrat conceded that one of the affairs began as he was running on a family values platform to replace Mark Foley, a Republican who resigned amid revelations that he sent lurid Internet messages to male pages who had worked on Capitol Hill as teenagers.

Mahoney, 52, apologized to his wife, his daughter and his constituents, even as he maintained he hadn't been hypocritical.

"I can understand why people would feel that way and for those people, all I can say is, 'I'm sorry I let you down,"' Mahoney said in his first set of interviews since news broke this week that he had a sexual relationship with Patricia Allen, 50, whom he met while campaigning in 2006.

Allen went to work for Mahoney's congressional office, then his campaign. Mahoney said she was fired for performance issues, not because of the affair.

Allen threatened to sue Mahoney for sexual harassment, and they reached a settlement to avoid a public airing. Her payout came from Mahoney's personal accounts, not from campaign funds or federal dollars, he said.

Allen has not returned repeated telephone calls.

Mahoney also acknowledged he had an affair with a high-ranking Martin County official in his district around the time he was lobbying the Federal Emergency Management Agency to give the county a $3.4 million hurricane clean-up reimbursement. The funds were awarded last year.

He insisted, however, that he did nothing more for Martin County than he did for others in his district.

Mahoney confessed to "multiple" other affairs, though he wouldn't say how many.

"You're asking me over a lifetime? I'm just saying I've been unfaithful and I'm sorry for that," he said.

The multimillionaire venture capitalist maintained a distinction between his behavior in office and Foley's, though he wouldn't specify.

"With respect to the former congressman, I think that his situation is different from my situation," Mahoney said. "I don't want anybody to misinterpret that as me saying that somehow I'm more proud or whatever. I'm not saying that at all."

Foley was cleared of criminal wrongdoing and left Congress to go into real estate.

The FBI has contacted Mahoney as part of an investigation into whether he hired Allen to keep her quiet about the affair and whether he showed any preferential treatment to Martin County in exchange for sex.

Mahoney said he welcomed the FBI probe and has no reason to be concerned. He has called for his own investigation of his conduct by the House Ethics Committee, as has House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, though the inquiry may not be completed before the Nov. 4 election.

In a statement Friday, the ethics committee said it was reviewing the matter and would interview Mahoney and others.

Mahoney, whose district leans slightly Republican, said he will remain in the race. He insisted he did not violate his oath of office and said he takes pride in his record, if not his personal life.

"We did go to Washington and we got rid of the meals, the trips, we brought more transparency," he said.

That push for openness did not extend to his personal life. He said he settled the case with Allen because "whether you prevail right or wrong, at the end of the day, you're living in a glass house of public opinion."

"I was ashamed and did not want it to come to light, no doubt about it," he said.

All told, according to Mahoney's attorney Gary Isaacs, the congressman will have spent $141,903 to resolve the Allen matter $61,903 to Allen; $60,000 to her attorney; and $20,000 to his own attorney.

Mahoney said he told his wife about the affairs "months ago," and hoped voters would forgive him and judge him on his work in office rather than his personal failings.

"I do feel like I let them down," he said. "I just hope that they can understand I'm a human being. I never presented myself as being perfect."

[pepperwood2]

Mahoney says - Just ask Barney Franks - I did not have *** with that Woman just to keep her quiet! CACKLE CACKLE CACKLE

[txgrouch2007]

and Republicans - ...Foley
Posted by JayKay3141 at 09:07 PM : Oct 17, 2008

Foley WAS REPLACED by this womanizer, who ran on the "decency" platform.

"The multimillionaire venture capitalist maintained a distinction between his behavior in office and Foley''s, though he wouldn''t specify.

"With respect to the former congressman, I think that his situation is different from my situation," Mahoney said...

Foley was cleared of criminal wrongdoing..."

Hey, Mahoney said he didn''t break any laws, either.

LOOK WHO''S TALKING ABOUT HYPOCRITES.

[txgrouch2007]

In all fairness, Vitter, who is a Republican who admitted to numerous cheating partners--mostly prostitutes--refused to resign. Toe tapping Craig refused to resign
Posted by harbinger09 at 09:15 PM : Oct 17, 2008

Who''s Vitter? Remember what happened to Spitzer. THAT''S what happens to Republicans more often than not.

Meanwhile, we have Ted Kennedy and Bill Cliton getting off MORE than scot free - their supporters ANGRILY DEFEND them even to this day.

The episode with Craig was post-Clinton. After the Monica episode, I think many Repubicans have given up on the whole morality thing. Why continue pursuing an agenda that only hurts yourself, while your opponents skate away like butter on a warm skillet EVERY TIME???

When was the last time ANY Democrat was forced to resign over ANY morality or character issue??? YOU HAVE TO THINK, don''t you. But the Reps have Nixon, Spitzer, DeLay... AT LEAST THEY HAD THE DECENCY TO BE ACCOUNTABLE AND RESIGN. Democrats just stubbornly refuse to accept any punishment at all.

[txgrouch2007]

any woman who gives it up to a democrat is only trailer trash, right?
Posted by ragnar30066 at 10:45 PM : Oct 17, 2008

Bill Clinton is trailer trash. He grew up in a trailer.

Why blame the woman?

[ragnar30066]

It''s never a crime when a democrat does it, because democrats are nice. Especially when they''re trying to silence people who are exposing them. After all, any woman who gives it up to a democrat is only trailer trash, right?

[harbinger09]

THAT''''S DEMOCRATS.

ADMIT to doing wrong - then REFUSE TO TAKE ANY PUNISHMENT for what you did.

Then GO ON AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED.

Makes you wonder HOW SORRY he really is if HE MAKES NO CHANGE in his behavoir.

Posted by txgrouch2007 at 06:45 PM : Oct 17, 2008

In all fairness, Vitter, who is a Republican who admitted to numerous cheating partners--mostly prostitutes--refused to resign. Toe tapping Craig refused to resign, McCain wants to put his former mistress into the White House as first lady, Bill Clinton got re-elected twice even though we knew he was a cheater that Dem Mayor in LA did not resign, Guiliani tried to put his mistress in the gov mansion with his wife and did not resign--on and on.

The minute we started re-electing tarnished men who we knew cheated--was the minute we gave the green light for men of either party to screwwww over the public and the private aspects of their lives. What is surprising is how many resign and don''t just brazen it out like Guiliani, McCAin, Craig, Vitter, etc.

[harbinger09]

A man who cannot control his peniz has no business trying to control our government. Besides opening his office and the government up to blackmail, it shows a surprising lack of discipline and questionable moral character. It is not just between the man and his wife--it ceased to be between him and his wife when he took an oath to "serve" the public--serving us does not mean banging or getting blow jobs from us--why is it that we never hear about female higher public officials cheating? (not counting the ''assistants''of mayor, governors or Senators)

[jaykay3141]

"That''s Democrats" - Clinton, Kennedy, and on and on.

and Republicans - Gingrich, Foley, and on and on.

and "men of God" - Bakker, and on and on.

A hypocrite is a hypocrite is a hypocrite. It doesn''t matter what profession or political affiliation they have. Get rid of ''em all!

[txgrouch2007]

THAT''S DEMOCRATS.

ADMIT to doing wrong - then REFUSE TO TAKE ANY PUNISHMENT for what you did.

Then GO ON AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED.

Makes you wonder HOW SORRY he really is if HE MAKES NO CHANGE in his behavoir.

[txgrouch2007]

"Mahoney, whose district leans slightly Republican, said he will remain in the race. He insisted he did not violate his oath of office and said he takes pride in his record, if not his personal life. "

THAT''S DEMOCRATS.

He admits that his behavior is horrible, but WHY SHOULD THAT STOP HIM FROM HOLDING HIGH PUBLIC OFFICE?

After all, WHO NEEDS INTEGRITY in a representative form of government....

[txgrouch2007]

"The first-term Democrat conceded that one of the affairs began as he was running on a family values platform to replace Mark Foley, a Republican who resigned amid revelations that he sent lurid Internet messages to male pages who had worked on Capitol Hill as teenagers. "

THAT''S DEMOCRATS.

Self-righteous judgemental hypocrites all the way.

[hypnotoad72]

So when one cheats on a marriage, a religious and legal institution, it''s not being hypocritical?