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Anti-LGBTQ politician 'looked for gay meet-ups on Craigslist'

Wes Goodman reportedly used alias of 'Brady Murphey'

Rachael Revesz
Monday 20 November 2017 10:02 GMT
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Mr Goodman said he had 'let down' his constituents
Mr Goodman said he had 'let down' his constituents (NBC4)

The anti-LGBTQ politician from Ohio who resigned after being outed as a gay man reportedly looked for sex on Craigslist.

Wes Goodman was known for pushing anti-LGBT legislation and described himself as a Christian conservative with family values.

In private he was reportedly sending and responding to online meet-up adverts, using the alias "Brady Murphey".

As reported by Cleveland.com, the married politician sent sexually suggestive messages to conservative colleagues he met on Capitol Hill.

"It became a running joke between me and my gay friends on Capitol Hill," Chris Donnelly, a former GOP congressional staffer, told the publication. "It's not like it was some one-off thing."

He resigned after Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, Cliff Rosenberger, was informed of Mr Goodman's "inappropriate behaviour" after he was caught having sex with a man in his Columbus office.

In 2015, Mr Goodman was accused of inviting a teenage boy, the son of a Republican donor, to his hotel room. As reported by the Washington Post, the teenager reportedly awoke around 4am to find Mr Goodman pulling down the zip on his trousers and the boy then ran away.

After the incident, Mr Goodman left a conservative group called the Council for National Policy.

The group's president, Tony Perkins, known for heading up the anti-LGBT. anti-choice and anti-Obamacare group Family Research Council, reportedly urged Mr Goodman not to run for public office.

"We all bring our own struggles and our own trials into public life," Mr Goodman said when he resigned.

"That has been true for me, and I sincerely regret that my actions and choices have kept me from serving my constituents and our state in a way that reflects the best ideals of public service. For those whom I have let down, I’m sorry."

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