Rep. (Sherwood R-PA) paying ex-mistress about $500K

[chat_noir]

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - A Republican congressman accused of abusing his ex-mistress agreed to pay her about $500,000 in a settlement last year that contained a powerful incentive for her to keep quiet until after Election Day, a person familiar with the terms of the deal told The Associated Press.

Rep. Don Sherwood (news, bio, voting record) is locked in a tight re-election race against a Democratic opponent who has seized on the four-term congressman's relationship with the woman. While Sherwood acknowledged the woman was his mistress, he denied abusing her and said that he had settled her $5.5 million lawsuit on confidential terms.

The settlement, reached in November 2005, called for Cynthia Ore to be paid in installments, according to a person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal is confidential. She has received less than half the money so far, and will not get the rest until after the Nov. 7 election, the person said Thursday.

A confidentiality clause requires Ore to forfeit some of the money if she talks publicly about the case, according to this person and two other people familiar with elements of the case.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061102/ap_on_el_ho/congressman_settlement

[davidinalameda]

1. installments?

I'd want that money up front

[Anakin Skywalker]

21. Paying in Installments is the American Way!

But she should be charging INTEREST like any good American corporation!

[Bucky]

2. Dang. I sure wish Don Sherwood used to fuck me. I got this car payment coming due, see...

Seriously though, is this why campaigns are becoming so expensive these days?

[Ian David]

3. If that is how he treated the woman he slept with for FUN...

just imagine how he treats the woman he HAS to come home to?

[kurth]

4. Republican family values

So typical of Republicans

[PreacherCasey]

6. You've got to see the ads against his opponent up here.

They're all about Chris Carney's "Extreme Liberal Values". They're supposed to be worse than Sherwood's "lie, cheat, and strangle" values I guess.

That and Chris Carney received $10,000 in campaign contributions from trial lawyers. WTF?

[struggle4progress]

25. "Protecting his marriage by strangling his mistress" -- Gotta love those values

[Kierkegaard]

8. See, that's typical liberal spin!

The phrase is actually "Republican Family Valuables" and it refers to the pursuit of immense wealth by any means necessary. Get it right!

Sheesh!

[Zambero]

9. Sherwood doubles his family values

One value ($500M) in hush money for his mistress, to keep the "sanctity of marriage" intact.

Another value (=hot air and hypocrisy) for the constituents he hopes to dupe.

[Auggie]

5. It's not a secret anymore.

[Vinca]

7. Guess he should have paid a little hush money to her friends, too.

What scum.

[Kber]

10. Oh darn, I wanted to talk about Kerry's sense of humor some more

just knew those republicans would mess it up, didn't ya?

[leftchick]

11. typical repuke abuser and all around creep....

<snip>

Sherwood, a 65-year-old married father of three who is considered a family-values conservative, had one of the safest seats in Congress until Ore sued him in June 2005, alleging he physically abused her throughout their five-year affair.

Reached by telephone Wednesday, the congressman and successful car dealer said: "I can neither confirm nor deny because this was a private settlement. If I'd like to talk to you about it, I can't."

The Associated Press has been trying for months to find out the terms of the settlement.

According to a police report, Ore called 911 on her cell phone from the bathroom of Sherwood's Capitol Hill apartment in 2004 and reported that Sherwood had choked her while giving her a back rub. Sherwood admitted having an affair with the woman, but vehemently denied ever hurting her, and criminal charges were never filed. But Ore, now 30, sued for damages.

[WI_DEM]

12. Don't you love those Republican morals? and his wife accuses

the Democrats of trying to hurt their family!!??

[PreacherCasey]

13. bizarre. n/t

[Anakin Skywalker]

22. How Stupid is the Wife?

[Jim Lane]

14. Let's not forget about his lying to the public

The quoted article says that "Sherwood acknowledged the woman was his mistress...." Well, yeah, eventually he did. At first, though, his story was that she was just a "casual acquaintance". The police report on the choking incident said that neither party was telling all that they knew.

So, Republican values don't stop at adultery and assault. They also include lying to the public and obstruction of justice.

[kay1864]

15. More on her here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynthia_Ore

[kay1864]

16. More on him from sourcewatch.org:

Sherwood is a member of the Christian Right, with high ratings from the Christian Coalition, the American Conservative Union, and the American Family Association. Ore said Sherwood originally told her that he was getting a divorce, but later said that he had to stay married for him to get re-elected.

:rofl:

[whistle]

17. I wonder if Rick Keller in Central FL has any skeletons in his trunk?

...I know that he lies everytime he opens his mouth

[TheCowsCameHome]

18. Looks like 'ol Cynthia isn't the only one who's been screwed.

Don, I hope she was worth it.

[Darth_Kitten]

19. Gawd, no, see that picture?

I guess Momma never taught the cheap little "Rhymes with Ore" that you maybe should get a JOB if you want money. :sarcasm:

[liberal N proud]

20. And all it took was a blow job to get Clinton

[cap]

23. so .... how did he come up with $500K on a $150K salary?

dont get it

[civildisoBDence]

24. A settlement is not an admission of guilt, just like O'Reilly's settlement didn't

mean he was guilty.

Unless, of course, you live in the real world.

At least O'Reilly was choking his chicken, not another person.

Newsprism

[AnneD]

26. Gee....

they are still reaming Henry Cisneros for the same thing. Except it has cost us over $500 million and we don't even have a blue dress to show for it.