Evans' Husband To Defend Himself In Court

Craig Schelske said Tuesday that he cannot explain why his estranged wife, Sara Evans, is "waging a false media campaign" against him, but has set forth a plan of action to deal with the allegations.

"I intend to defend myself in court and protect my children as best I can," he said in a statement released Tuesday.

Country singer Sara Evans, 35, filed for divorce on Thursday claiming Schelske committed adultery, was verbally and emotionally abusive, drank excessively and frequently watched pornography in their home. Schelske denies the allegations.

In his statement, Schelske acknowledged the earlier statements of Alison Clinton, a former nanny with whom Evans claims he had an affair.

"I deeply appreciate the courageous decision of our friend and former employee Alison Clinton to step forward and tell the truth in the face of the cruel and false allegations leveled against her by Sara," he said. "No one should have to go through what Alison is being forced to endure, and she is in my prayers."

Schelske has prepared for Evans' taped appearance on the ABC's "Dancing With The Stars," tonight. Evans quit the show last week.

"My attorneys have put ABC on notice that I deny the false allegations in the divorce complaint, that those false allegations should not be repeated in the broadcast, and that Sara and ABC should consider the impact of her televised statement on our children, whose well-being remains my highest concern," he said.

Yesterday Clinton spoke out about the allegations that she had an affair with Schelske. Evans claimed Clinton and Schelske had an affair in divorce papers filed last week.

"I am crushed. I thought Sara was my friend. I have never been anything but loyal to her and her family. I cannot understand this, but now I am forced clear my name in order to preserve the best possible future for me and my family," she said in a statement.

She has hired an attorney who demanded a retraction from Evans.

Clinton claimed she stopped working for the family in 2004, due to an eating disorder. She said the singer was the matron of honor at her wedding three months ago, and added that Evans' children were the flower girls and ring bearer and Schelske was a groomsman.

Evans announced last week that she was quitting the dancing competition in order to devote attention to her family.

In a new court filing, Evans claims in a new court filing that her husband moved funds from a joint checking account to a personal account in his native Oregon on the same day last week that she filed for divorce.

The amended divorce complaint claims that Craig Schelske, her husband since 1993, moved a total of $274,000 despite a restraining order against such moves.

"He took $207,500 out of a joint checking account and a business account," Evans' attorney John Hollins Jr. told The Tennessean. "Those funds were put in the parties' joint tithing account that already had $66,500 in it. Then he liquidated the entire account of $274,000 and transferred it to a U.S. bank account in Portland in his sole name. This was their tithing account, set up just for church tithes, and he knew that."

Hollins said he has asked the Oregon bank branch to freeze the account.

In the motion filed Monday, attorneys claim Schelske needs to be stopped from liquidating all the assets that were mostly earned by Evans.

Schelske, 43, ran in 2002 for the GOP congressional nomination in Oregon's 5th District, which includes his native Salem, and currently runs a political action committee to elect Republicans candidates and promote conservative government.