Another abuser of constituent's trust...

Anti-gay, pro-abstinence legislator had affair with intern

Posted By Raw Story On July 24, 2009 @ 9:57 am

A Republican state senator from Tennessee–who is married and the
father of two– has admitted to police that he had sex with a 22 year
old intern after her boyfriend [1] allegedly demanded money from the
legislator to not make public a video of the legislator and intern
having sex.

State Sen. Paul Stanley only recently sponsored legislation designed
to prohibit gay couples in his home state from ever adopting children.
He has also opposed family planning services, explaining that his
“faith and church” require him to “promote abstinence.” And Stanley
has run as a “pro-family” candidate in his campaigns for the Tennessee
State Senate.

On Thursday, Stanley resigned his chairmanship of the Tennessee State
Senate’s Commerce committee.

Stanley himself admitted to police that he had had a “sexual
relationship” with the intern and had taken nude pictures of her in
“provocative poses,” according to [2] a sworn affidavit police made
public yesterday. The couple also filmed a video of themselves having
sex together.

Stanley went to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation alleging that
boyfriend of the intern was attempting to blackmail him. The boyfriend
has been charged with attempting to extort the state legislator of
$10,000, after Stanley worked undercover with police to nab the
boyfriend. A grand jury also continues to investigate the matter.

The alleged extortion scheme apparently began last April after Stanley
received a text message from the intern’s boyfriend saying: “Good
morning sir, how are you this fine day? McKensie and I have been
talking and I feel that I have a video and some pictures you might be
interested in seeing. This is her boyfriend, that guy you met outside
Walgreens.”

In another text, the boyfriend allegedly wrote Stanley: “10,000 small
bills, 20’s … Be smart because I will take all of us down you have
until 10 am to reply with cash in fist.”

The boyfriend, Joel Watts, has denied wrongdoing, [3] saying in one
interview:

“If you had found out or seen video or tape of your wife in the act,
you could probably generalize and feel how I felt. This gentleman had
an obligation to not take advantage of situations. At the time, yes I
was mad at McKensie. I was mad at him. During this time. I was
thinking this man needs to be exposed. I need to bring this house of
cards down.”

Despite such incriminating text messages, Watts had denied asking
Stanley for money, saying instead that it was Stanley who originally
breached the subject to him.

Last March, Stanley introduced legislation that would have outlawed
gay and lesbian couples in Tennessee from being able to adopt
children: “When you’re married,” Stanley said at the time, “there’s a
commitment there.” Of course, Stanley also opposes the right of gay
and lesbian couples in his state to marry or have civil unions.

Meanwhile, the publicity about Stanley’s affair with his intern has
resurrected allegations of spousal abuse. In 1994, his first wife
filed [4] a restraining order against Stanley. The ex-wife alleged
that Stanley had physically assaulted her at least three times. She
also claimed in the restraining order that Stanley “verbally abused”
the couple’s children.

The current Mrs. Stanley, Zachary Roth[1] points out at TPM Muckraker,
met her husband while “both were working for Bill First’s U.S. Senate
office Memphis.” At the time, the current Mrs. Stanley was working
as—you guessed it—an intern.