It sounds like something you’d read in a supermarket tabloid, but sadly it is true.
A Virginia Democrat wins re-election for a seat he was forced to resign following a scandal in which he was accused of having an affair with his 17-year-old assistant who is now pregnant.
And he learned of his electoral victory via a pay phone… in jail.
Not only is the story true, but because the lawmaker, Joe Morrisey, is a Democrat, the coverage and controversy will be scarce.
Via the Daily Mail:
A Virginia lawmaker who resigned his seat following a sex scandal involving a teenage employee won it back during a special election Tuesday.
Apparently plenty of voters in Joseph Morrissey’s Richmond-area House of Delegates district were OK with his conviction in the scandal involving his 17-year-old secretary, whose nude photo was found on his cellphone and allegedly shared with a friend.
Morrissey has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, saying his phone was hacked. The young woman, who denies they had sex, is now pregnant.
But he successfully conducted a political campaign – for the seat he was forced to vacate upon his guilty plea to the crime of contributing to the delinquency of a minor – from behind bars.
This caption under one of the Daily Mail images says it all:
Joe Morrissey crushed the competition for his old Virginia House seat on Tuesday, including rival Matt Walton, despite having to wear a court-ordered ankle bracelet and sleeping each night behind bars; he learned of his victory via a jailhouse pay phone.
Court documents show that Morrisey had sex multiple times with the then 17-year-old girl, including several times in his office. He also sent nude photos of the girl to a friend.
And voters in his district simply didn’t care.
Side note – It’s a bit of a misnomer to call it a re-election. Morrisey had to resign the seat as the scandal and crimes were fought in court. He ran as an independent in a special election. Essentially however, he was re-elected.
Are you surprised that a politician was able to win re-election after having sex with a minor? Tell us your thoughts about a Democrat learning of his electoral victory from a jail pay phone.
