Cole Calls On Mahoney To Answer Questions

National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole isn't satisfied with Rep. Tim Mahoney's denial that he paid off a former mistress.  In a statement released this afternoon, the NRCC chairman said "there are too many unanswered questions about how Mr. Mahoney conducted himself in office."

Cole was just in the Florida Democrat's district this morning to campaign for his Republican rival, Tom Rooney. Rooney didn't address the charges, but Cole was downright bullish about Rooney's prospects.

"On a scale of one to 10, this is a 12," Cole told the Palm Beach Post. "This turns the race upside down."

Cole's full statement is below:

“Congressman Tim Mahoney’s cover-up and stonewalling three weeks from Election Day is nothing more than an attempt to run out the clock without being accountable to voters in his district. While today’s press conference must have been very difficult for Mr. Mahoney, his statement was incomplete and insufficient.

The voters in the 16th Congressional District have been let down one too many times by both parties, and they deserve an open and swift account from Mr. Mahoney. While I respect his family’s privacy, there are too many unanswered questions about how Mr. Mahoney conducted himself in office. Hiding the truth three weeks before an election does a grave disservice to voters who deserve full disclosure from a Congressman seeking re-election.

It’s clear Speaker Pelosi would like to sweep this matter under the rug through a lengthy investigation, rather than shine the light of truth on the facts.”

Based on news reports, the Democrat Leadership had at least some knowledge of Congressman Mahoney’s inappropriate and potentially illegal behavior, which begs the question: What did the Democrat Leadership know and when did they know it?

Five questions Tim Mahoney should answer today:

1. Did Tim Mahoney pay his former employee $121,000?
2. Did the money originate from his campaign account? If not, from where?
3. Is Ms. Allen telling the truth when she said Tim Mahoney arranged to get her a job with his media firm?
4. Why did Tim Mahoney find it necessary to move Ms. Allen off the government payroll and pay her from his campaign account once rumors of their affair surfaced?
5. How long has the Democrat Leadership known Mahoney paid off his mistress and what did they advise Mahoney to do when they learned of it?