Rep. Alan Grayson's wife accuses him of injuring her

[Omaha Steve]

Source: CBS

Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., is denying his wife's accusation that he shoved and injured her during a domestic dispute over the weekend, saying through his spokeswoman that his estranged wife's allegation is "an outright lie."

The Orlando Sentinel reports that a judge has granted a temporary protective injunction against Grayson after Lolita Grayson filed paperwork accusing the congressman of pushing her against a door during a confrontation at their home on Saturday, causing her to fall and injuring her.

The Sentinel reports that her petition states that Rep. Grayson "showed up, unannounced" to their home and he asked to speak with her. She refused and asked him to leave. She then accuses the congressman of "deliberately and with force" pushing her "very hard against the front door, causing [her] to fall to the ground as a result," the Sentinel reports.

Photos filed with the petition show bruises to her leg and shoulder, according to the Sentinel.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/rep-alan-graysons-wife-accuses-him-of-injuring-her/

[marble falls]

1. Oh jeez........

[geek tragedy]

2. ugh. nt

[No Vested Interest]

3. He said, she said. No winners, only losers. nt

[ReRe]

8. He said, they said, she said...

... the "witnesses." Wonder who the witnesses were? The children?

And who took the pictures? Is there a Doctors report?

[alp227]

33. One of Grayson's staffers

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/rep-grayson-accused-pushing-estranged-wife/nd5tF/

Juan Lopez,Grayson's director of constituent services, said he was with the congressman Saturday when they stopped by Grayson's home to pick up some items and to get Grayson's daughter.

Lopez told Channel 9's Ryan Hughes, in a phone interview, that Lolita Grayson was the combative one that day.

"She basically charged the door. She did not want him to go inside and proceeded to physically contact him," Lopez said.

He said things quickly got worse.

"She continued to hit him and push him away from the front door," Lopez said.

Who knows, Grayson could be exonerated.

[ReRe]

34. Thanks for the info...

... too bad Lopez or Grayson didn't have one of those little "007-type" cams in their lapel. What the hell is an "injunction"? A "protective order" to keep him completely out of touch with her? I'd never go around her again unless I was wired and cammed up. Hell, I'd say he needs to get a body guard now.

[Isoldeblue]

5. I hope this isn't true

Grayson is not one of my favorite dems, with his style. At times, he can be offensive. Once, I watched him be really disrespectful and condescending to Karen Finney, cutting her off and sneering at her remarks.. It was upsetting to watch.

It sounds like they are both to blame for a volatile divorce. Sad.

[7962]

6. Nothing proven yet, but I've never liked him. He's just like the guys on the other side,

except with a "D" next to his name. And I've said as much here and been blasted for it. We'll see how this turns out.

[bitchkitty]

7. Sigh...story of my life.

The guys I like always seem to have issues...

[Plucketeer]

10. Amen Bro!

I'd run for office - I really would - but my skeletons would come strutting out of the closet as soon as my ex smelled MONEY!

[brett_jv]

35. It does, sometimes, doesn't it?

Being from the Bay Area, the worst had to be Bernie Ward ... that was pretty crushing.

[alcina]

46. I remember Bernie

His was such a tragic fall. I loved that man -- listened to his show religiously (no pun intended). I still find it hard to reconcile this with his public persona...but I suppose that's often the case.

[Plucketeer]

9. I honestly hope it's not true

We've had enough Weiners!

[ReRe]

11. I'm not going to form any opinions...

... from this article. It documents that a domestic altercation took place. I would never have imagined that something like this was going on in his life.
Divorce is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, and more-so if there are children.

[freshwest]

12. Odd language for a married couple: "showed up, unannounced." Regrets to both of them. n/t

[JI7]

22. she had filed for divorce so i'm pretty sure they were separated

[karynnj]

38. You ignore that there was a court injunction.

While it is ALWAYS best to wait for the court hearing, if he were a Republican - or even a DU disliked "DINO", people would jump to the opposite conclusion that he was guilty of domestic abuse.

Either conclusion is unwarranted at this point - the facts are not out. At any rate, it is a pretty nasty story. If there is any truth, he should drop out rather than run for re-election. I assume there is still time before the primary.

[freshwest]

45. No, I did not. Although I didn't see when the divorced was filed at the link. The OP says:

The Orlando Sentinel reports that a judge has granted a temporary protective injunction against Grayson after Lolita Grayson filed paperwork accusing the congressman of pushing her against a door during a confrontation at their home on Saturday, causing her to fall and injuring her.

Please note the injunction was not filed before this incident, so it was the unusual language I referred to. The link says she had filed for divorce, not that they were separated. If two people are living together, one does not have to 'announce' their showing up at home. It's an expected event, so I said:

Odd language for a married couple: "showed up, unannounced." Regrets to both of them. n/t

I did not jump to unwarranted conclusions, in fact, I make none now, either. I'm not here to jump on him, his wife, or anything else. My words of regret to both of them were sincerely written.

If you want to argue with DU members about DINOs or anything, I'm not the one to address that question. I'm for many things he says, against others. I wouldn't jump on him or her, why would I?

In the end, the divorce court will decide what happened and who is fit to parent, since the link says:

The alleged incident comes less than two months after Lolita Grayson filed for divorce saying their 24-year marriage was "irretrievably broken..."

That is a tragedy, after so many years of what we would hope had been many happy days.

Please read my comment in the spirit in which I wrote it, which was not a criticism or accusation of either party. It is sad for him, his wife and his children to have this happen, or be accused of it. And the link does say that she took physical action with him.

EOM.

[brentspeak]

50. "If there is any truth"

Congratulations. Practically every scandalous rumor concerning Democrats vomited forth by Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity is preceded by those very words, a convenient disclaimer to preface their libel. And your opinion -- completely unasked for -- concerning what "DU" would say had this been a GOP congressman is odd to say the least and maybe a bit revealing.

[karynnj]

57. This is a serious accusation -- and it did not start on the right

It may be as he says - completely untrue. However, there is a possibility that it has some real substance. It is reasonable to say that IF IT IS TRUE ....

What is revealing is that you immediately assume that anything negative said about a Democrat you admire is ... Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh. Domestic violence is an issue that is often private and secret. If there is any truth, will you still argue that he should still run for re-election?

[Triana]

13. Disappointing. n/t

[adirondacker]

14. Major! nt

[Nanjing to Seoul]

15. No criminal charges, no medical reports, no police calls.

Sounds fishy to me.

[Gravitycollapse]

17. The article very plainly states that she called the police.

[Kire]

58. now, when there was a divorce, but not before?

[Gravitycollapse]

60. Just a suggestion but maybe you should read the articles before commenting or asking questions.

She called the police during the incident. You would know that if you bothered to read the article.

[Kire]

61. I totally read the article, and several others.

what would make you think I didn't?

[Gravitycollapse]

62. Because you don't know contents of the article and asked me a question which is answered in it.

[Kire]

63. How do you know that?

[sheshe2]

28. FYI

Not every, make that not many women report abuse. It is a stigma for women. Many are quietly abused.

I will not jump to a conclusion yet. However do not say this sounds fishy.

[Nanjing to Seoul]

32. Produce evidence that this happened and I will change my opinion

Until then, it seems like a misunderstanding brought to a nasty head because of a bitter and personal divorce.

And I will leave it at that.

[phleshdef]

16. The Graysons are going through a divorce right now. Divorces can be nasty.

I won't assume anything is true or false. Rep. Grayson does strike me as a fellow with a temper, but I've seen these kinds of stories go both ways.

[mimi85]

19. Yes divorces can be nasty.

There are pictures, maybe she hit herself.

[phleshdef]

24. Well the article also states that witnesses say she attacked him.

Now in my experience, and according to statistical data, the vast majority of the time, men are the aggressors in these situations, theres no doubt about that. But there are some women out there too who have no problem taking a swing if disgruntled.

[karynnj]

39. I assume that a doctor could distinguish between injuries caused

by hitting someone and being hit. Grayson did have an aide with him who sides with him, but that also is not conclusive as he has a vested interest in saying what he did.

[closeupready]

18. Like anyone, he deserves the benefit of the doubt. In addition,

he's a good, liberal Democrat, so I think I'll hold off on rushing to judge on this one story (unprecedented, as far as I know), in the absence of a reason to find him guilty.

Naturally, one needs only to be a Democrat for far right-wing media sources to run fast and loose with any truth.

[JI7]

20. what his party is should have nothing to do with judging him on something like this

[closeupready]

25. Completely missing the point of what I posted.

I'd appreciate an apology when you recognize your error.

[Laffy Kat]

23. I liked him too but I usually give the benefit of the doubt to the least powerful.

He deserves what he gets.

[phleshdef]

26. Thats awfully prejudiced of you.

[closeupready]

27. Understandable, but I give everyone the benefit of the doubt.

Powerful people are no more or less likely to be guilty of accusations of wrongdoing than the weak.

[iamthebandfanman]

21. Sad if true.

but ill wait until more facts and/or trial.

I try not to give out to much about myself, as im afraid that it narrows who I am down .. makes me feel exposed...

that said,
ive actually had to be a witness in a domestic case (i witnessed the encounter)...
people lie. most times, both sides lie. lord know they both accused each other of being 'crazy' and 'a liar' countless times... and by all accounts the guy in question wasn't a 'nice guy'... but he also didnt do what she told police he did. just didnt happen. i was there the ENTIRE encounter within feet of them.. in fact when they both attempted to get into each others faces i broke it up and 'forced' him out of the house (just stood in his way and kept walking towards the door so hed have no choice but to go out the door, unless he wanted to do something to me).
again, i didnt care much for the guy and had nothing but love for the girl.. but that doesn't mean im going to lie under oath. *shrugs*

i think its best everyone takes the 'wait and see' approach to this .. just be ready to condemn if condemning is needed
because if true, he definitely doesn't deserve to be a house rep (among other things.. i hate violent people.. especially spousal abuse, since i grew up around it my entire childhood).

[nolkyz]

29. Fire When Ready...

but I've always gotten a sleaze-vibe from Grayson: slick, sweaty, smirking.

[Systematic Chaos]

30. I've always thought he was a nice -- if imperfect -- guy who is doing the best...

...he knows how to serve his constituents.

There are witnesses who say ex launched herself at him. If that is indeed true, it's not out of the realm of possibility that he threw out his hands in defense, and with his fairly chunky body mass it wouldn't take much to knock her down unless she's also a really big woman.

She goes down on the floor, ends up with a couple of bruises, and decides to be vengeful about it. That's the only way I'd be able to just let this go.

I hope it's true. In a perfect world nobody on the left would be caught up in a mess like this. Sadly, the world is far from perfect.

[RandiFan1290]

36. Welcome Back to DU!

[HangOnKids]

47. Indeed! Here 15 days and already has a hidden post

That. Is. Classy!

[Psephos]

53. How disgusting to think someone would *dare* post a non-herd opinion.

In the spirit of tolerance, diversity of opinion, and dissent being patriotism's highest expression, let's ridicule someone who had a post hidden in a mere 15 days.

Moo moo, baaah baaah...

[HangOnKids]

55. Get lost

You are boring.

[Psephos]

56. mission accomplished ;-) n/t

[raven mad]

31. I hope it's not true and was just a damn fight. But remember

who OWNS the Sentinel?

The Orlando Sentinel is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida and the Central Florida region. It was founded in 1876. The Sentinel is owned by Tribune Company and is overseen by the Chicago Tribune. It has historically tilted conservative; it has only endorsed a Democrat for president three times since 1964--Lyndon Johnson in 1964, John Kerry in 2004 and Barack Obama in 2008.

[karynnj]

42. I would not go there given the 2004 and 2008 endorsements

If they were blindly conservative, they would not have endorsed Obama and especially, John Kerry. Johnson was a blow out and Goldwater very extreme - and possibly so long ago that it could be irrelevant. If they were ultra conservative, they would not have endorsed either Obama or Kerry. In the case of Kerry, Kerry had made what should have been a long shot Democratic opportunity into a reasonably close race. It was possible, given they were in FL, that they COULD have been a deciding influence. Had the OBL tape not appeared - and Kerry won FL - that endorsement could have been seen as why. (Had the tape not magically "appeared" just that weekend, Kerry might have won several additional close states.)

Given that there is a court injunction being asked for against a sitting representative who is from the state, I think that it is reasonable to cover it and they do not seem to be overstating what is "known" at this point.

[MADem]

37. Any "child transfers" need to happen in a neutral location under the watchful eye of a

disinterested third party.

He needs to stay as far away as he can manage, with/without a restraining order.

There's no winning in those circumstances. He either pushed her around or she pushed him around or they pushed each other around--best bet is to stay the hell away, get the divorce, pay the money, move on.

[Sunlei]

40. disappointed! He shouldn't have gone there & needs to take ownership of this problem.

[marble falls]

41. Florida Rep. Alan Grayson accused of ‘history of physical violence’ against his wife....

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/03/04/florida-rep-alan-grayson-accused-of-history-of-physical-violence-against-his-wife/

[gerogie2]

43. This is a common tactic in a divorce

The spouse will start an incident to get leverage in a divorce. A spouse will grab onto a spouse and then when the other spouse reacts they will claim domestic violence.

[geek tragedy]

54. common? nt

[Nanjing to Seoul]

59. Yes. Both my best friend's and my brother's ex-wives claimed they were beaten

and the courts believed them completely.

No medical reports, no 9-11 calls. My best friend is the most pacifistic man you'd ever meet.

And my brother doted on that woman completely.

But one was crazy and the other was a cheating liar.

Is it beyond logic that someone would claim spousal abuse in a divorce and lie about it?

[Kire]

44. This is awkward.

[shaayecanaan]

48. Its an outrage that these sorts of proceedings are even subject to publication...

the approach in many other jurisdictions is to hold these proceedings in closed court, and to preclude any publication. This story would have constituted a criminal offence in the place where I reside (Qld, Australia).

DVO applications are very frequently used for strategic reasons by both male and female spouses, and even people who were never spouses in the first place. In post-separation contexts they are extremely common. I think that several of the comments above casting aspersions about Grayson (sweaty, smirky, sleazy) are gutless and vile, but that's par for the course.

I should add, in this instance, that while Grayson has vacated the matrimonial home that it is still perfectly legal and appropriate for him to attend there. It remains his house as much as hers. My stock advice in these situations is that men should not completely vacate the home even if they set up a separate living situation elsewhere. If there is a study, for example, they should leave their possessions there. It is important to assert that entitlement. If possible it is a good idea for the man to spend allotted time with the children at the home, where naturally the children feel most comfortable. Carry a video recorder at all times if required.

The really difficult aspect is when the wife repartners and attempts to bring that spouse into the matrimonial home. The police will not want to get involved, but it remains a civil trespass as long as one of the proprietors objects to the presence of the other party there. I think it is important to be firm in these situations, although not all men of course will be able to afford the fees for civil proceedings in addition to the family court proceedings.

[Omaha Steve]

49. I'm sure that Alan getting scammed out of 18 million $ didn't help life at home

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/12/alan-grayson-loses-18-million-fraud-scheme-100895.html

By JOHN BRESNAHAN | 12/9/13 4:56 PM EST Updated: 12/10/13 12:17 PM EST
Controversial House Democrat Alan Grayson lost $18 million as part of a criminal scheme run by a Virginia man that bilked more than 100 investors out of more than $35 million, according to federal court documents.

William Dean Chapman, 44, of Sterling, Va.,was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison on Friday. Chapman pled guilty to one count of wire fraud in May, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Virginia, which oversaw the case.


Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/12/alan-grayson-loses-18-million-fraud-scheme-100895.html#ixzz2v7E0Udrx

[shaayecanaan]

52. My wife probably wishes that I had that kind of money to lose...

I would think that he has been a reasonably good provider regardless.

[struggle4progress]

51. "Grayson hasn’t been arrested or charged with any crime"

Rep. Grayson says video shows he didn’t push wife
By Associated Press
Updated: Wednesday, March 5, 12:39 PM