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 The chairman of Louisiana's Republican Party demanded Thursday that married GOP Rep. Vance McAllister step down in light of his caught-on-video canoodling with a now-former female staffer.


Chairman Roger F. Villere, Jr. said in a statement that McAllister's "extreme hypocrisy is an example of why ordinary people are fed up with politics. A breach of trust of this magnitude can only be rectified by an immediate resignation. He has embarrassed our party, our state and the institution of Congress."

Also Thursday, GOP House Speaker John Boehner told reporters that he has spoken with McAllister, adding that "he's got decisions that he has to make." Said Boehner: "I expect all members to be held to the highest ethical standards and this is no different."

McAllister has continued to resist calls for his resignation, saying through his staff that he is currently focusing on his family.


Embattled GOP Rep. Vance McAllister has made at least one smart move: He concluded that finding out 

 may have leaked a security video that captures him in a torrid embrace and lip lock with a woman (not his wife) won't actually 

One day after the freshman congressman from Louisiana — who ran last year as Christian conservative — indicated he planned to ask GOP House Speaker John Boehner to request an FBI investigation into the leak, he reversed course.

A statement issued Wednesday afternoon by McAllister's office asserted that he "will not pursue an FBI investigation at this time regarding the distribution of a video filmed in leased federal office space," which happened to be the congressman's district office back home.

"Congressman McAllister is focused on earning back the trust of those he has disappointed," the statement said, "and he reiterates his request for privacy for his family during this difficult period."


The development is the latest in the sad and, at times, startling fallout from this week's public dissemination 

 that shows the married, father of five McAllister in a clinch with then-staffer Melissa Hixon Peacock. (Also married, she has since left the congressman's employ.)


It's the rare situation in which the act or indiscretion has been captured on video and publicly shared. (There was, of course, former Democratic New York Rep. Anthony Weiner and his porno selfies, but those were self-posted –- he was a victim of his own leak, so to speak.)

The release of the grainy, black and white video snippet — and an even more widely distributed screen shot of McAllister, 40, and Peacock, 33, in mid-make out — set in motion the following:

 that he has experienced "an outpouring of support, not for my actions, but for me to continue to represent the people."
But the congressman, who before Monday, was best-known for 

 to the State of the Union address, doesn't have a lot of time to make amends. He won the seat last year in a special election to finish out the term of retiring GOP Rep. Rodney Alexander.
That means this year is another election year for McAllister, and primary challengers are no doubt already jockeying for position.  Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Politics and Government News

Liz Halloran

Author

Embattled conservative GOP Rep. Vance McAllister has made at least one smart move: He concluded that finding out who may have leaked a security video that captures him in a torrid embrace and lip lock with a woman (not his wife) won't actually erase said video.

What's behind the 'kissing congressman' video

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