Wes Goodman, GOP lawmaker led secret gay life, accused of sexual harassment

[HoneyWest]

REPORT: Dozens Including Teens Say Disgraced Anti-Gay GOP Lawmaker Sexually Harassed Them, Sent Explicit Photos and Videos

http://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/davidbadash/report_dozens_say_disgraced_anti_gay_ohio_gop_lawmaker_sexually_harassed_them_some_provide_photographic_evidence

Disgraced Ohio anti-gay "family values" Republican state representative Wes Goodman is now being accused by over 30 people of inappropriate behavior and sexual harassment, from suggestive text messages to allegedly sending photos of his penis and inviting people, including young men, to sexual encounters.

Goodman was forced to resign last week after being caught having sex with a man in his government office. On Friday, The Washington Post reported that just two years ago Family Research Council president Tony Perkins effectively covered up allegations from an 18-year old that Goodman unzipped his pants and fondled him while he was sleeping.

 

[HoneyWest]

Secret gay life of married 'family values' lawmaker was not so secret

https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/secret-gay-life-married-family-values-lawmaker-was-not-so-n823056

The nation's leading anti-gay marriage organization, Cincinnati-based Citizens for Community Values, was among the Christian conservative groups that knew of Goodman's extramarital sexual contact with other men before his election last year, the Associated Press has learned.

Unbelievable.

 

[simba16]

Secret gay life of married 'family values' lawmaker was not so secret

https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc...ied-family-values-lawmaker-was-not-so-n823056



Unbelievable.

These hypocrites are the WORST.

 

[simba16]

Goodnight, Goodman.

 

[EuTuCroquet?]

Months before Wes Goodman quit, he denied to Ohio House leaders he was gay, unfaithful

http://www.dispatch.com/news/201711...d-to-ohio-house-leaders-he-was-gay-unfaithful

The House chief of staff and chief lawyer met with Goodman in early summer after a non-House employee provided computer or cellphone screenshots implying Goodman “was gay and not faithful to his wife,” a House spokesman told The Dispatch on Monday evening.

 

[EuTuCroquet?]

Ohio Republicans confronted Wes Goodman about extramarital affairs with men, sexually suggestive messages

http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2017/11/ohio_republicans_confronted_we.html

Ohio conservatives and House Republican leaders knew former state Rep. Wes Goodman had engaged in extramarital affairs with men more than a year before he resigned his seat last week.

 

[EuTuCroquet?]

omg

(Content warning.)

EXCLUSIVE: 30 Sources Expose Sexually Explicit Evidence of Harassment by Ohio GOP Rep. Wes Goodman

http://ijr.com/2017/11/1020133-excl...evidence-harassment-ohio-gop-rep-wes-goodman/

Goodman has a reputation of reaching out to those involved in politics via Facebook Messenger — but things tend to quickly turn south, as he has been known to flirt with men, solicit sex, and even send pictures of his genitals, according to dozens of sources. The majority of the people he targets are between the ages of 18 and 24 and have had very little interaction with him personally.

In many instances of his alleged sexual misconduct, Goodman apparently offered to be a “mentor” for those looking to get into politics. Because of the power he had, his victims say they were afraid to report instances of abuse for fear of damaging their own political careers.

 

[EuTuCroquet?]

Decent event timeline.

When Ohio Republicans knew what about ex-Rep. Wes Goodman

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/ne...more-than-year-before-his-resignat/885585001/

On Nov. 14, someone informed Dittoe that Goodman had sex with a man in Goodman's House office earlier that year. Dittoe told Rosenberger, who then met with Goodman and asked the freshman lawmaker to resign.

The "inappropriate behavior" was consensual and with a man who did not work in the Ohio Legislature. The problem was Goodman used his taxpayer-provided office to conduct the alleged affair.

Goodman resigned in a letter at 11:59 p.m. that night.

 

[kaen]

This man's behavior is so abhorrent on so many levels. However, he is not unlike non-gay, power hungry people who are as predatory in their behavior.

It is too bad this jerk didn't come to terms with his sexuality-- living in the closet creates a petri dish for doing more and more risky behaviors thinking he wouldn't get caught. Now, he has self destructed ruining his career and his family. I wonder why he could not be out?

 

[Jennifer17]

Oh dear, the messages are awful. Almost comical, if they weren't so obscene.

 

[EuTuCroquet?]

Ohio House Republicans Deny They Covered Up For Wes Goodman

http://radio.wosu.org/post/ohio-house-republicans-deny-they-covered-wes-goodman-0#stream/0

What Dittoe and other House leaders knew, and when, is starting to come out in the aftermath of Goodman’s resignation from the House. Goodman was asked to leave when he was caught in “inappropriate conduct” in his state office with another man.

“To allege any sort of cover up is an absolute mis-characterization of the events,” Dittoe says.

Dittoe acknowledges he heard rumors of explicit social media messages. And eventually, that included screenshots of a sexually charged text message conversation between Goodman and an unnamed man.

 

[EuTuCroquet?]

This fact is quickly becoming clear: They covered for his grossly hypocritical (at best) behavior.

GOP knew of Rep. Goodman’s secret gay life

http://thecourier.com/local-news/2017/11/21/gop-knew-of-rep-goodmans-secret-gay-life/

The office encounter was the final straw that last week ended his political rise as a self-proclaimed Christian conservative, which had taken Goodman from congressional campaign worker to Capitol Hill aide to a seat in the Ohio House.

It also opened the floodgates on details of Goodman’s secret gay life, which turned out not to have been a secret to several conservative groups, House Republicans or their campaign operation.

 

[EuTuCroquet?]

Deny, deny, deny ...

State representative warned about sexually explicit messages before resignation

http://abc6onyourside.com/news/loca...sexually-explicit-messages-before-resignation

Goodman took down his campaign website but on it he touted himself as a family values candidate who believed in natural marriage between a man and a woman.

House officials said they never received any complaints about Goodman until the day he resigned.

 

[EuTuCroquet?]

Staff had warned Ohio anti-LGBT lawmaker about affairs with men

http://fox45now.com/news/local/staff-had-warned-ohio-anti-lgbt-lawmaker-about-affairs-with-men

A legislative Republican spokesman says officials confronted a conservative Christian, anti-LGBT Ohio lawmaker months before his resignation to discuss allegations of extramarital conduct with men and to warn him to stay away from House staff.

Ohio House GOP spokesman Brad Miller says the meeting with then-state Rep. Wes Goodman took place in early summer. Also present were Speaker Cliff Rosenberger's chief of staff and top lawyer.

Miller says it occurred after someone provided computer and cellphone screenshots suggesting Goodman "was gay and not faithful to his wife." Miller told the Columbus Dispatch that Goodman alleged at the time the materials were "fake."

 

[EuTuCroquet?]

omg

(Content warning.)

EXCLUSIVE: 30 Sources Expose Sexually Explicit Evidence of Harassment by Ohio GOP Rep. Wes Goodman

http://ijr.com/2017/11/1020133-excl...evidence-harassment-ohio-gop-rep-wes-goodman/

There definitely should be a criminal investigation. If there isn't one underway already.

Just ... some of Goodman's behavior uncovered in this article.

Snip:

The sources informed IJR that many more photos of extremely explicit behavior — including Goodman in his underwear drinking beer, him showing his legs, and pictures of his penis — exist. Goodman always sent these on Snapchat to avoid the photos being saved, which is likely part of the reason why it has taken so long for his behavior to be exposed.

Snip:

The victims were almost always political activists who simply had mutual friends with Goodman. He would then escalate the conversation, often sending several messages a day. Eventually, the conversation would move past small talk, and Goodman would start sending suggestive messages.

Snip:

In many instances of his alleged sexual misconduct, Goodman apparently offered to be a “mentor” for those looking to get into politics. Because of the power he had, his victims say they were afraid to report instances of abuse for fear of damaging their own political careers.

Snip:

A business owner in the political arena reached out and informed IJR that Goodman had gone after 50 percent of his staff and that they had not come forward with any evidence until they became one of IJR's sources.

Annnnnd last but not least:

Snip:

While the student was sleeping, the parents of the victim said Goodman “unzipped his pants and fondled him in the middle of the night.” He then woke from his sleep, ran out of the room, and immediately told his parents, who demanded action be taken against Goodman by the organization hosting the conference.

Tony Perkins, the president of the council for National Policy, addressed the incident, saying, “Trust me ... this will not be ignored nor swept aside” and that "it will be dealt with swiftly, but with prudence.”

Perkins requested Goodman drop out of the campaign, but he continued and ended up beating out two other Republicans in the election. He took office in November.

 

[SweetCaroline]

This man's behavior is so abhorrent on so many levels. However, he is not unlike non-gay, power hungry people who are as predatory in their behavior.

It is too bad this jerk didn't come to terms with his sexuality-- living in the closet creates a petri dish for doing more and more risky behaviors thinking he wouldn't get caught. Now, he has self destructed ruining his career and his family. I wonder why he could not be out?

BBM
IMO, because he had built his entire career on homophobia.

 

[Fairy1]

It's very troubling to me how many people kept this disgusting, predatory behavior quiet for so long and made it possible for this "man" to be elected to public office.

 

[Jennifer17]

It's very troubling to me how many people kept this disgusting, predatory behavior quiet for so long and made it possible for this "man" to be elected to public office.

And it seems that he was relatively open about. Many, many people must have known.

 

[Fairy1]

And it seems that he was relatively open about. Many, many people must have known.

Right? Very little effort to be discreet. Aside from the abhorrent behavior and glaring hypocrisy, how does someone so ignorant get elected?

We all need to be a bit more discerning when voting for representatives.

 

[EuTuCroquet?]

I mentioned this earlier, too, but geeeeeeeeeez I hope there's some sort of law enforcement response to all this. An investigation — something.

Eerie silence so far. Maybe after the Thanksgiving holiday?