Rep. Vance McAllister requesting FBI probe into leaked footage of his tryst
Rep. Vance McAllister, the married Republican congressman who was caught on tape kissing his part-time scheduler inside his Monroe, La., district office, is reportedly asking for an FBI investigation into the source of the leaked security footage.
The freshman lawmaker planned to send a letter requesting the probe to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, on Wednesday morning, according to the Monroe News Star. The Dec. 23 surveillance video captured McAllister in a lengthy liplock with his now-former staffer Melissa Anne Hixon Peacock, who is also married.
Adam Terry, McAllister's chief of staff, called the leak a "serious breach," and said he's aware of at least one allegation claiming a lead on who's behind it.
Danny Chance, pastor of Christian Life Church, on Tuesday contended that McAllister's district office manager Leah Gordon told him she had possession of the footage and intended to bring it to state GOP Sen. Mike Walsworth and Jonathan Johnson, who worked for McAllister's predecessor, former Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-La.
"I'm not taking up for the congressman; what he did was wrong," Chance reportedly said, clarifying that he didn't know whether Gordon ever took the video to Walsworth and Johnson. "But I just feel like there is a conspiracy to bring Vance down and destroy him. For someone on his staff to do that is wrong."
Terry told the News Star he spoke with Gordon on Tuesday morning and she denied the allegation. Speaking with the Shreveport Times, Walsworth and Johnson also cried foul play.
"It's an absolute lie," Walsworth said of Chance's claims. "He knows it's not true. I can't believe a minister would outright lie like that. Maybe I didn't go to his church as often as he wanted. I didn't see that video until [Monday] like everybody else."
Johnson echoed that sentiment: "It's the craziest thing I've heard in my life," he said. "The bottom line is it's ridiculous. They're looking for someone to take the blame to get the attention off of them, and I guess they're looking for me to take the fall, but I didn't see the video until [Monday]."
An office staffer at the Christian Life Church couldn't specify Chance's relationship to McAllister, but told CBS News the congressman is not a member of the congregation.
McAllister, who ahead of his election last fall ran multiple campaign ads trumpeting his faith and family, said Tuesday he will go ahead with seeking reelection "unless there is an outcry for me not to serve - and so far, there has been an outpouring of support; not for my actions, but for me to continue to represent the people.
"If the people are willing to forgive me," he went on, "I'll keep fighting. If there's somebody more perfect than me who they support, it's their will."
