[h=1]Minnesota lawmaker in rest stop sex scandal with teen boy changes mind, drops re-election bid[/h]
ST. PAUL, Minn. — A Minnesota Democrat who had a rest-stop sexual encounter with a 17-year-old boy dropped his re-election bid Wednesday, hours after declaring he would stay in the race in defiance of party leaders who wanted him out as they fight to regain control of the state Legislature.
Democrat Rep. Kerry Gauthier, 56, told The Associated Press the decision was his own after multiple conversations with Democratic leaders pressing him to withdraw. He said he had been going back and forth about running “every 20 minutes for a week.”
“I changed my mind,” he said. “Too much. It’s just too much.”
Gauthier also told the AP that an overdose of muscle relaxants he took last week that led to his hospitalization was a suicide attempt. He’d earlier issued a statement saying he has been in recovery from chemical dependency for 30 years with one relapse.
Gauthier’s decision came after Democratic leaders, from Gov. Mark Dayton on down, urged the first-term lawmaker to step aside so the party could field another candidate in a reliably Democratic district. Democrats need to gain at least six House seats to take control of the chamber, a top goal in November, and the last thing they needed was the possibility of losing what was thought to be a safe seat.
Gauthier’s initial decision to stay in the race, announced in an interview with Northland’s NewsCenter in Duluth, drew widespread condemnation from fellow Democrats.
“I think it’s just something that goes beyond the morals of Minnesotans — to solicit on Craigslist sex with a minor and do it in a public area, publicly owned area, as a state legislator, and come back to the parking lot with his clothes disheveled,” Dayton told reporters at the Capitol. “It’s not about whether it’s a same-sex or a heterosexual act. It would be the same if it were the same circumstances involving a heterosexual individual.”
Police say Gauthier admitted having oral sex with the boy on July 22 after the first-term lawmaker from Duluth advertised on Craigslist for “no strings attached” sex. Police declined to charge him because the boy was older than 16, the legal age of consent, and no money was exchanged.
“I am sorry for the hurt this has caused my family, friends and my constituents. I know I made a mistake and am determined to make amends as best I can,” he said.
Gauthier told the station his unwillingness to accept he is gay led him to the act. He said he is getting counseling. He also said he feels badly for the teen and wouldn’t talk specifically about the incident to protect the boy.
“I can change my behavior, but I cannot change the fact that I am a gay man, and have known this since my college days. I simply must act like a mature gay man would act, and not as the incident portrays me,” the network quoted him as saying.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...bb4904-ec8c-11e1-866f-60a00f604425_story.html
ST. PAUL, Minn. — A Minnesota Democrat who had a rest-stop sexual encounter with a 17-year-old boy dropped his re-election bid Wednesday, hours after declaring he would stay in the race in defiance of party leaders who wanted him out as they fight to regain control of the state Legislature.
Democrat Rep. Kerry Gauthier, 56, told The Associated Press the decision was his own after multiple conversations with Democratic leaders pressing him to withdraw. He said he had been going back and forth about running “every 20 minutes for a week.”
“I changed my mind,” he said. “Too much. It’s just too much.”
Gauthier also told the AP that an overdose of muscle relaxants he took last week that led to his hospitalization was a suicide attempt. He’d earlier issued a statement saying he has been in recovery from chemical dependency for 30 years with one relapse.
Gauthier’s decision came after Democratic leaders, from Gov. Mark Dayton on down, urged the first-term lawmaker to step aside so the party could field another candidate in a reliably Democratic district. Democrats need to gain at least six House seats to take control of the chamber, a top goal in November, and the last thing they needed was the possibility of losing what was thought to be a safe seat.
Gauthier’s initial decision to stay in the race, announced in an interview with Northland’s NewsCenter in Duluth, drew widespread condemnation from fellow Democrats.
“I think it’s just something that goes beyond the morals of Minnesotans — to solicit on Craigslist sex with a minor and do it in a public area, publicly owned area, as a state legislator, and come back to the parking lot with his clothes disheveled,” Dayton told reporters at the Capitol. “It’s not about whether it’s a same-sex or a heterosexual act. It would be the same if it were the same circumstances involving a heterosexual individual.”
Police say Gauthier admitted having oral sex with the boy on July 22 after the first-term lawmaker from Duluth advertised on Craigslist for “no strings attached” sex. Police declined to charge him because the boy was older than 16, the legal age of consent, and no money was exchanged.
“I am sorry for the hurt this has caused my family, friends and my constituents. I know I made a mistake and am determined to make amends as best I can,” he said.
Gauthier told the station his unwillingness to accept he is gay led him to the act. He said he is getting counseling. He also said he feels badly for the teen and wouldn’t talk specifically about the incident to protect the boy.
“I can change my behavior, but I cannot change the fact that I am a gay man, and have known this since my college days. I simply must act like a mature gay man would act, and not as the incident portrays me,” the network quoted him as saying.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...bb4904-ec8c-11e1-866f-60a00f604425_story.html
