Roy Moore's attorney defends him, challenges accuser

Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore's attorney made a statement defending him Wednesday evening.

Five women have come forward accusing Moore of sexual misconduct, among them one who said he sexually assaulted her when she was 16 years old. Over a dozen GOP senators, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, have called on Moore to step aside, and the senior senator from Alabama, Richard Shelby said Wednesday he would write in a candidate on Election Day.

President Trump, who said he would support Moore after he prevailed against his preferred candidate, incumbent Luther Strange, has not said anything about Moore's candidacy since the first allegations surfaced in a Washington Post report last week.

Steve Bannon, the former top White House strategist, has decided he will continue to support Moore.

Attorney disavows Nelson's yearbook claim

Attorney Jauregui said that the campaign has hired a handwriting expert to examine the yearbook note of Beverly Young Nelson, the fifth woman to accuse Moore of sexual misconduct.

In a press conference Monday, Nelson claimed Moore sexually assaulted her as a high school student. She claimed Moore signed her yearbook while he was District Attorney, citing it as evidence of Moore's alleged interest in her.

The attorney defended his client, saying the handwriting in the alleged yearbook note is different from Moore's.

"I've got a question for Gloria Allred and Ms. Nelson," Jauregui said. "Do you still hold that everything written in that yearbook was written by Judge Moore? Or was it written by somebody else? That's not an allegation, it's a question."

The yearbook message reads "To a sweeter more beautiful girl I could not say Merry Christmas. Christmas 1977. Love, Roy Moore, D.A. 12-22-77 Olde Hickory House."

"Olde Hickory House" refers to the restaurant where Nelson worked in Gadsen, Alabama. At the time the note was supposedly written, Moore would have been 30, and Nelson would have been 16.

Attorney for Roy Moore speaks

Phillip L. Jauregui, an attorney for Roy Moore, came out to address the "serious, serious allegations" against his client.

He described the allegations as "incredibly painful" for Moore and those close to him.

"When the allegations are made and it's not true," he said "it's also horrible" for whoever is being accused.