Newly-elected Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives John Diehl may be on the verge of losing his position after a series of text messages between him and an 18-year-old college freshman were discovered and made public.
The Kansas City Star has?published a series of messages sent by Diehl, who is married, to a female student at?Missouri Southern State University. The young woman also serves as an intern in Diehl’s office. One of the messages begins shortly after the student sent a picture of herself in a bikini to the Speaker. Diehl responded:
?Laying in bed looking at your pic.”
To which the intern replies:
?Mmmmm why can’t I be there.”
In another text message, Diehl says:
?I am so distracted right now. You would be in trouble if you were here.?
For his part, Diehl issued a statement in which he said:
?I take full responsibility for my actions and am truly sorry to those I let down,? state Rep. John Diehl said in a statement. ?I apologize for the poor judgment I displayed that put me and those closest to me in this situation.?
Oddly, the woman Diehl sent the messages to said through an attorney that the text messages were not real. Yet she also allegedly told friends she was indeed in a relationship with Speaker Diehl. The attorney added that his client:
“Requests the media respect her privacy. She has provided all the information she intends to give on the matter, and will be issuing no further comment. [She] is not interested in being at the center of any political debate concerning her internship or the workings of the state Capitol.?
Democrats in the Missouri legislature have begun circulating a petition to recall Diehl as Speaker if he does not voluntarily resign. On Wednesday, Diehl said he had no plans to step down as Speaker of the House.
See The Text Messages Between Speaker Diehl And His Intern
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