Tennessee Sen. Stanley Resigns After Affair With Intern

By GottaLaff

My original post on this, with all the gory details, is here.

And now ::drum roll:: a Rushpublic resignation over ::another drum roll:: infidelity:

Sen. Paul Stanley, R-Germantown, resigned on Tuesday in the wake of publicity about an affair with a 22-year-old intern. [...]

The affair became public after a Clarksville man allegedly tried to blackmail Sen. Stanley in regard to some nude photos and the senator began working with the TBI.

Here is his letter:

Dear Governor Ramsey:

It has been an honor to serve with you in the State Senate in the 105th and 106th General Assemblies. Due to recent events, I have decided to focus my full attention on my family and resign my Senate seat effective August 10, 2009.

Thank you for your service as our Speaker of the Senate and Lieutenant Governor.

Respectfully yours,
Paul Stanley
Senate District 31 [...]

Senators Jim Kyle of Memphis and Lowe Finney of Jackson, leader and chairman respectively of the Tennessee Senate Democratic Caucus, released the following statement:

"We have learned that Paul Stanley has tendered his resignation as the senator from the 31st District. We hope this puts an end to this terrible situation. We hate that it has happened to this family with young children, who continue to be in our prayers.

"The Tennessee State Senate is an honorable institution, and the people of this state must know that it is their struggles that are most important to us as public servants.

"We are sorry that the good work of the legislature has been overshadowed by this tragedy."

Sen. Stanley is married with two children, according to his Senate biography.

It lists him as an Evangelical Christian and as a member of the administrative board of Christ United Methodist Church.

Yep, time to for this latest cheat, er, "family man" to "spend more time with his family"! Looks like he's following the script perfectly.

Maybe C Street will take him in.

Nude pics at center of sex scandal involving Tennessee Republican State Senator

By GottaLaff

Gee, maybe this guy should have hung out with the C Street Frat Boys where secrecy is revered and "wink-wink" is the watchword. Oh well, water under the bridge:

A former Volusia County resident is at the center of a sex scandal that has rocked the Tennessee legislature.

I'll bet that's not all it rocked... and rolled.

McKensie Morrison, 22, is a graduate of Spruce Creek High in Port Orange, where she was student body president. She went on to become a straight-A student at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn., and a legislative intern.

Now, authorities have arrested her former boyfriend, Joel Palmer Watts, 27, who is accused of demanding $10,000 from state Sen. Paul Stanley, R-Germantown, in return for pictures and a video Stanley shot of Morrison.

Because that's what good, solid, values-oriented family men, you know, do.

Stanley, a married father of two, admitted he had a sexual relationship with Morrison and took pictures of her in various states of undress, according to affidavits and testimony from a TBI agent.

Smile! Say-y-y-y "undies"!

Stanley, whose seat is up for election next year, has not responded to text and phone messages from The Associated Press. He issued a statement last week saying prosecutors had asked him not to discuss the matter with the media. District attorney general spokeswoman Susan Niland on Friday said that is not the case.

"Nobody told him that he could not talk to anybody," she said.

A Memphis newspaper reported Friday that a Planned Parenthood executive there said that when she met with Stanley during a lobbying visit in April, he told her he would not support the organization's work and "didn't believe young people should have sex before marriage."

Thank you again for allowing me to serve you. The confidence you have placed in me as your state senator is one I take very seriously and I will work hard each and every day to maintain your trust and confidence.

Blessings,


Paul R. Stanley

H/t: My Twitter pal Gr8RDH