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| Roy Moore: second woman says Senate nominee sexually assaulted her as a minor | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A second woman has come forward to accuse Alabama GOP Senate nominee Roy Moore of sexual misconduct when she was a minor. | |
| Beverly Young Nelson says Moore sexually assaulted her when she was 15 and 16. She held a news conference Monday with attorney Gloria Allred. | |
| Moore called the allegations a “witch hunt” in a statement shortly before the press conference. | |
| Her statement follows a Washington Post report that the 70-year-old Moore had sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl and pursued three other teenagers decades earlier. | |
| Moore had no immediate comment about the most recent allegations. He has dismissed the Post story as “fake news” and denied the reports. | |
| He has refused to quit the race even with pressure mounting, including from Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, who said on Monday Moore “should step aside” from the Alabama special Senate election, in light of allegations of sexual contact with young women. | |
| In response, Moore said McConnell was “the person who should step aside”. | In response, Moore said McConnell was “the person who should step aside”. |
| The Washington Post last week quoted four women by name, including one who alleged sexual contact with Moore at 14, and had two dozen other sources. | The Washington Post last week quoted four women by name, including one who alleged sexual contact with Moore at 14, and had two dozen other sources. |
| McConnell spoke to reporters after visiting a plant in Kentucky. He said he believed the women who were quoted in the Post story. Previously, he had said Moore should step aside if the allegations were proven true. Republicans are looking at a write-in option in Alabama, McConnell said. | McConnell spoke to reporters after visiting a plant in Kentucky. He said he believed the women who were quoted in the Post story. Previously, he had said Moore should step aside if the allegations were proven true. Republicans are looking at a write-in option in Alabama, McConnell said. |
| Moore seems unlikely to comply. The former state supreme court judge denies the allegations and on Sunday said he would file a lawsuit over the Post report. | Moore seems unlikely to comply. The former state supreme court judge denies the allegations and on Sunday said he would file a lawsuit over the Post report. |
| On Monday morning he responded on Twitter, saying: “The person who should step aside is … Mitch McConnell. He has failed conservatives and must be replaced. #DrainTheSwamp.” | On Monday morning he responded on Twitter, saying: “The person who should step aside is … Mitch McConnell. He has failed conservatives and must be replaced. #DrainTheSwamp.” |
| The Alabama Republican has long called for McConnell to step down, for example telling a cheering crowd at an election eve rally in September: “Mitch McConnell needs to be replaced.” | The Alabama Republican has long called for McConnell to step down, for example telling a cheering crowd at an election eve rally in September: “Mitch McConnell needs to be replaced.” |
| McConnell actively supported the appointed incumbent Luther Strange against Moore in the runoff to fill the Senate seat that was vacated by Jeff Sessions’ confirmation as attorney general. | McConnell actively supported the appointed incumbent Luther Strange against Moore in the runoff to fill the Senate seat that was vacated by Jeff Sessions’ confirmation as attorney general. |
| Moore is a hardline conservative who has the backing of former Trump counsellor and Breitbart News executive chairman Steve Bannon in his drive against candidates from the Republican establishment. | Moore is a hardline conservative who has the backing of former Trump counsellor and Breitbart News executive chairman Steve Bannon in his drive against candidates from the Republican establishment. |
| Moore told supporters on Sunday night in Huntsville, Alabama that neither Democrats nor Republicans want to see him win on 12 December. The Post story, he said, was “fake news” and “a desperate attempt to stop my political campaign”. | Moore told supporters on Sunday night in Huntsville, Alabama that neither Democrats nor Republicans want to see him win on 12 December. The Post story, he said, was “fake news” and “a desperate attempt to stop my political campaign”. |
| Moore said the allegations were “untrue” and said the Post “will be sued”, drawing applause. He also questioned why such allegations would be levelled for the first time so close to the special election, despite his decades in public life. | Moore said the allegations were “untrue” and said the Post “will be sued”, drawing applause. He also questioned why such allegations would be levelled for the first time so close to the special election, despite his decades in public life. |
| “Why would they come now? Because there are groups that don’t want me in the United States Senate,” he said, naming the Democratic party and the Republican establishment and accusing them of working together. He added: “We do not plan to let anybody deter us from this race.” | “Why would they come now? Because there are groups that don’t want me in the United States Senate,” he said, naming the Democratic party and the Republican establishment and accusing them of working together. He added: “We do not plan to let anybody deter us from this race.” |
| Moore has tried to raise money from the controversy, writing in a fundraising pitch on Sunday that he was counting on supporters “to stand with me at this critical moment by chipping in a donation to help me bust through the vicious lies and attacks and get the truth out to as many voters as possible before 12 December”. | Moore has tried to raise money from the controversy, writing in a fundraising pitch on Sunday that he was counting on supporters “to stand with me at this critical moment by chipping in a donation to help me bust through the vicious lies and attacks and get the truth out to as many voters as possible before 12 December”. |
| On Sunday another Republican senator, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, said Moore’s explanations regarding the Post piece were inadequate and that Republicans should consider Strange as a write-in candidate. | On Sunday another Republican senator, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, said Moore’s explanations regarding the Post piece were inadequate and that Republicans should consider Strange as a write-in candidate. |
| Even if Moore were to step aside, his name would probably remain on the ballot. Any effort to add Strange would probably divide the Republican vote and give the Democratic candidate a greater chance of winning. On Monday morning, the realclearpolitics.com average gave Moore a two-point lead, putting the race in a deep red state into unlikely toss-up territory. | Even if Moore were to step aside, his name would probably remain on the ballot. Any effort to add Strange would probably divide the Republican vote and give the Democratic candidate a greater chance of winning. On Monday morning, the realclearpolitics.com average gave Moore a two-point lead, putting the race in a deep red state into unlikely toss-up territory. |
| Toomey did not rule out the possibility that Senate Republicans might refuse to work with Moore if he wins against Democrat Doug Jones. | Toomey did not rule out the possibility that Senate Republicans might refuse to work with Moore if he wins against Democrat Doug Jones. |
| “You know, this is a terrible situation, nearly 40-year-old allegation, we’ll probably never know for sure exactly what happened,” Toomey said on NBC. “But from my point of view, I think the accusations have more credibility than the denial. I think it would be best if Roy would just step aside.” | “You know, this is a terrible situation, nearly 40-year-old allegation, we’ll probably never know for sure exactly what happened,” Toomey said on NBC. “But from my point of view, I think the accusations have more credibility than the denial. I think it would be best if Roy would just step aside.” |
| The White House, pointedly noting that Trump did not back Moore during the primary – after it he deleted tweets in support of Strange and made favourable comments about Moore – said the president would probably weigh in when he returns from Asia later this week. | The White House, pointedly noting that Trump did not back Moore during the primary – after it he deleted tweets in support of Strange and made favourable comments about Moore – said the president would probably weigh in when he returns from Asia later this week. |
| On Air Force One on Saturday Trump referred reporters to press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ original statement on Moore, which said he should step aside if the allegations were proven to be true. The president also claimed he did not know about Moore’s case because he did “not watch much television”. | On Air Force One on Saturday Trump referred reporters to press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ original statement on Moore, which said he should step aside if the allegations were proven to be true. The president also claimed he did not know about Moore’s case because he did “not watch much television”. |
| White House legislative aide Marc Short told NBC on Sunday: “I think there’s a special place in hell for those who actually perpetrate these crimes. But, having said that, he hasn’t been proved guilty. We have to afford him the chance to defend himself.” | White House legislative aide Marc Short told NBC on Sunday: “I think there’s a special place in hell for those who actually perpetrate these crimes. But, having said that, he hasn’t been proved guilty. We have to afford him the chance to defend himself.” |
| Trump himself has been accused by least 16 women of sexual misconduct or assault. He has denied the allegations and Sanders said last month all the women were lying. | Trump himself has been accused by least 16 women of sexual misconduct or assault. He has denied the allegations and Sanders said last month all the women were lying. |
| Moore is an outspoken Christian conservative who has said “homosexual conduct should be illegal” and who claimed the 9/11 attacks were a case of divine retribution. He was removed from the Alabama supreme court in 2003, for refusing to remove a biblical monument from the state judicial building, and in 2016, for refusing to follow the US supreme court ruling that legalised same-sex marriage. | Moore is an outspoken Christian conservative who has said “homosexual conduct should be illegal” and who claimed the 9/11 attacks were a case of divine retribution. He was removed from the Alabama supreme court in 2003, for refusing to remove a biblical monument from the state judicial building, and in 2016, for refusing to follow the US supreme court ruling that legalised same-sex marriage. |
| The Post reported last Thursday that he had sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl and pursued three other teenagers, decades earlier. While he called the allegations “completely false and misleading” in an interview with conservative radio host Sean Hannity, Moore did not wholly rule out dating teenage girls when he was in his early 30s. | The Post reported last Thursday that he had sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl and pursued three other teenagers, decades earlier. While he called the allegations “completely false and misleading” in an interview with conservative radio host Sean Hannity, Moore did not wholly rule out dating teenage girls when he was in his early 30s. |
| Asked if that would have been usual for him, he said: “Not generally, no.” He added that he did not “remember ever dating any girl without the permission of her mother”. | Asked if that would have been usual for him, he said: “Not generally, no.” He added that he did not “remember ever dating any girl without the permission of her mother”. |
| Losing the Alabama election would imperil the slim Republican majority in the Senate, which is hoping to pass a tax overhaul later this year. | Losing the Alabama election would imperil the slim Republican majority in the Senate, which is hoping to pass a tax overhaul later this year. |