Congressman wants 24-year marriage annulled, says wife, Lolita, is a bigamist

[brooklynite]

Source: WJLA

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - An outspoken liberal congressman from Florida will argue in court Monday that his 24-year marriage should be annulled because his estranged wife committed bigamy, the opening salvo in an acrimonious divorce case a judge likened to an episode of the TV series "House of Cards."

Rep. Alan Grayson says his wife, Lolita, was still married to Robert Carson when she and the multimillionaire congressman married in 1990 in Virginia. Grayson, a Democrat and highly successful trial lawyer, said the marriage to Carson wasn't dissolved until 1994 in Broward County, Florida.

But Lolita Grayson says she divorced Carson in Guam in 1981, and she disputes that she was divorced in Broward County. She also said she isn't the "Lolita B. Carson" cited in a dissolution of marriage final judgment that Alan Grayson, 56, says is proof that she was still married to Carson when they wed. Neither side has found Carson.

If the marriage is annulled, Alan Grayson would avoid having the court divide personal property or decide whether he owes Lolita Grayson alimony. In court papers, Lolita Grayson puts her husband's worth at $31 million.

Read more: http://www.wjla.com/articles/2015/03/congressman-wants-24-year-marriage-annulled-says-wife-lolita-is-a-bigamist-112087.html

[Turbineguy]

1. Something along the lines of

"Who will rid me of this turbulent Priest?"

Repubs would love to get rid of Grayson.

[Sherman A1]

2. Should be pretty easy for her to

document if the divorce took place as she stated in 1981. There is that thing called dissolution of marriage paperwork and all.

[Dems to Win]

3. Boy, this is ugly. Can't believe Rep. Grayson keeps dragging this out so publicly

I agree with the judge, a quiet settlement would be best for all parties, especially the children. And Alan's political reputation.

quote from linked article:

Attorneys at the hearing suggested that politics, in part, may be preventing any effort to reach a quiet, confidential settlement that the judge hinted is the best option for both Graysons.
"When lies are told about you and you're in the media, your detractors are going to use it and use it forever more. You have to neutralize that and the only way to do that is to get the truth out," said Mark NeJame, one of Grayson's attorneys.
When the judge said that both sides had "calmed down" from the initial acrimony of last year's divorce filing, NeJame shot back, "Except the Republican Party."
Lolita Grayson's attorney, Mark Longell, said the congressman was going to "drag her through the mud" so that he doesn't look bad.


Read more: http://www.wjla.com/articles/2015/03/congressman-wants-24-year-marriage-annulled-says-wife-lolita-is-a-bigamist-112087.html#ixzz3TpGK1kPt
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end quote

Even if Alan wins the case, I don't think he will come out looking good, at all. Even if she didn't do the correct paperwork 24 years ago, she is still the mother of his four children. He would look so much better if he would treat her with respect. He's got plenty of money, it's not attractive that he is fighting tooth and nail to keep the mother of his children from sharing it.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

4. Yup.

He looks like any other guy turning selfish in a divorce and simply looking to avoid actually sharing the wealth with the partner he supposedly loved after things go sour.

[Aerows]

5. I suspect the law is on his side

and the folks that want to silence him are concocting any story to try to bury Rep. Grayson.

Divorce and politics are a nasty business separately, but together? Have mercy.

[frazzled]

6. So you think a multimillionaire

should have to pay nothing to his wife of 24 years (whether legally divorced or not for part of that time) who bore 4 children and who knows in what ways supported his ability to have a career?

What some rich people will do to get out of losing a dollar. What purported liberals will do to excuse such behavior. Yes, divorce is ugly: because people like this make it so.

[Aerows]

8. I think you just brought

so many assumptions into my post that weren't anywhere near what I said that it's going to take a few months to clear the air.

Feel free to leave them on the lawn, I guess, just don't step on the petunias.

[NaturalHigh]

10. If they were never legally married...

then he is obligated to support the children but not necessarily her. Of course, until the kids turn 18, that will also entail paying at least part of her bills. After they turn 18, though, she should be on her own. If the marriage was fraudulent from the beginning, then he shouldn't be obligated to take care of her after the kids are of age.

[Dems to Win]

7. Doesn't matter if the law is on his side, he looks bad fighting so acrimoniously with the mother of

his children. That's why he should be willing to pony up the money needed to settle the case quietly and peacefully and get it out of the newspapers and let his children have some peace and stability in their lives.

Whether Alan is right or wrong, whether the law is on his side or not, no one wins in public nasty ugly divorce battles. Alan and his lawyers are so focused on proving Alan's wife to be in the wrong, as if that will completely exonerate Alan. But people like me won't really think highly of Alan even if he wins completely. It's still inexcusable to put the children through such public nastiness fighting over money with their mom.

'Bury Rep. Grayson'? He recently won re-election. The voters have decided not to vote on the basis of divorce allegations. Grayson should forget about self-righteously proving himself to be right, and reach the quiet settlement advised by the judge. And he should have done it yesterday.

[Aerows]

11. I'm not married to either one of them.

So no, I'm not going to stand here in judgement of either of them.

If you can point out where I did, please do. I merely remarked that divorce can be a nasty business and mixing it with politics is even worse.

[JDPriestly]

19. Divorce is a nasty process. If you are considering it, please take a couple of weeks off work.

Go to your local courthouse and review a few of the files in divorce cases. Look at the forms you will have to file. Full disclosure of all your financial information, lots of nasty gossip about your children, each other, maybe a couple of friends. The more money you have, the deeper the other side is going to dig into your personal business. Then spend a few days in divorce court watching how the proceedings go. Note the grimaces on the soon-to-be exes faces.

Next, take a little walk over to the juvenile court and witness some of the damage that divorce can do to kids. Not all kids in juvenile court are from turbulent families, and not all kids from turbulent families end up in juvenile court -- but why increase the odds that your inability to resolve the conflicts in your marriage will increase the odds of your children to be unable to resolve those in their lives.

Get a handle on the reality of life. Grow up. Your spouse is not perfect. Neither are you.

Divorce is, in my opinion, appropriate when one or the other partner is an alcoholic, a drug addict or incurably mentally ill.

Otherwise, try to avoid it. It will probably ruin your life. Yes, divorce can make a bad situation even worse.

No. I am not divorced, but I have seen a lot of divorces. Try to learn to resolve conflicts in a peaceful way.

I recommend Nonviolent Communication by Rosenberg to start.

http://www.nonviolentcommunication.com/index.htm

Probably too late for Alan Grayson. But maybe this will even help him.

This nasty divorce is not good.

[dixiegrrrrl]

12. This is more like Henry the VIII

He wants his long term marriage annulled, and that will make hiis children illegitimate....just as Henry did with Queen Catherine of Aragon.
they were even married the same number of years: 24.

[BillZBubb]

9. Grayson is committing political suicide.

It is really foolish. There is no way he wins in the court of public opinion. He looks like a cheapskate, heartless woman hater.

Even if she didn't correctly end her first marriage, Grayson was married to her for 24 years and they had children. He should have agreed to a generous settlement immediately. That would have been the liberal and decent thing to do.

[demigoddess]

25. +1

[Joe Johns]

13. Who in his right mind gets involved with a woman named Lolita?

Didn't he read the book?

[mopinko]

14. such a guy thing.

they seem to all do it. gettin it done to me. hiding money, playing games, dragging things out, refusing fair offers of settlement.
and then, crying about how much the wife is paying for an attorney to fight him.

this is no time to be a regular guy alan. divorce is a common thing, and no woman that has been through it is EVER going to look at you the same way.

dems are supposed to believe in fairness. you are showing that you preach it but dont think it applies to you.

[JDPriestly]

20. This is unbelievably ugly. Certainly not a liberal thing to do to his wife.

I suspect there is more to this story than is being told.

[mopinko]

22. no doubt. not anything that bears on his actions, tho.

i wish i had a nickel for every woman i know who dealt w the same shit. even a friend whose ex left her for another woman. out of the blue. innocent. and yet she is struggling to get support after 30 years of marriage, closing in on old age.

i dont care what she did. trying to make an end run like this, pretending there was no marriage, legality aside, just reeks. reeks.

not liberal. at all. mr leftier than thou congressman.

[RufusTFirefly]

15. Recent photo of Grayson's aspirations for national office

[Catherine Gross]

16. Congressman wants 24-year marriage annulled, says wife, Lolita, is a bigamist

I like Grayson, but I could never agree to what he is trying to do to his wife,

[Skittles]

24. I bet there's a lot of things you just cannot agree with

no MA'AM

[AngryAmish]

17. Am I the only one to say if you try to marry someone named Lolita you get what is coming?

If a parent since the mid 50s know that the name is tainted. Not too many kids named adolf.

Yeah, if someone is named Lolita nowadays the were probably raised by nutters.

[marble falls]

18. As much as I love Alan Grayson, he certainly makes it hard to defend him with all the side issues...

he generates.

[Orsino]

26. Dunno how much of the ugliness is his fault, and perhaps we're not entitled to know. n/t

[marble falls]

27. I agree 100%.

[geek tragedy]

21. Divorce is ugly. nt

[CC]

23. After she accused him of domestic abuse

and was caught lying at least once he might just feel the only thing he can do for his reputation is fight and political career be damned. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2014-03-12/news/os-alan-grayson-no-arrest-domestic-violence-20140307_1_u-s-congressman-play-date-congressman-grayson I feel for the kids.

[NaturalHigh]

31. I feel for the kids too.

She has certainly not proven to be trustworthy, though, and there is obviously a lot of acrimony. I'm not Grayson's biggest fan, but I don't blame him for defending himself in this divorce.

Also, I think he has asked for sole custody. If he is awarded that, and if it can be shown that they were never legally married, I frankly don't think his wife (?) is entitled to anything.

[rgbecker]

28. A LOT OF JUDGEMENT GOING ON HERE ABOUT GREYSON.

Do you people have information I don't about how much Greyson has offered Lolita? Do you know or are you assuming he is simply refusing to give her anything? Do you know how much she is asking for?

I've read your comments about how awful he is to be fighting her, but I see nothing to back up claims he is leaving her in the lurch.

That said, I'd like to see Greyson get back to butchering the Republicans.

[Judi Lynn]

29. He is exceptional in that capacity, isn't he?

I can't grasp why any Democrat would want to whoop it up regarding his marital problems. Deeply puzzling.

[wordpix]

30. if he wants this ugliness to end, just pay her half

He'll still be worth 15.5 million so what's the problem?

[dolphinsandtuna]

32. If she's been committing fraud since the beginning,

he owes her zero, in my opinion. The kids are another matter. They're entitled to full support until they become adults. No one cares if someone is illegitimate, however.

It ought to be easy to determine the divorce status via paperwork, however, unless Guam doesn't keep decent records. Also there should be a signature on the Broward County paperwork. Also possibly a lawyer involved in the latter who would or would not recognize her.