Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL) announced Thursday that he has settled a legal matter that has dogged his political career: a lawsuit by his ex-wife, filed in 2010, claiming that he was delinquent on child support by $117,000.
Walsh was elected in the 2010 Republican wave, defeating a Democratic incumbent. Now as a result of redistricting, he faces a tough race for re-election from Democratic nominee Tammy Duckworth, a disabled Iraq War veteran and former official in both the state and federal Departments of Veterans Affairs.
The Chicago Tribune reports that Walsh is not disclosing the terms of the settlement — though he did announce the news to his supporters:
In an e-mail note to political supporters, Walsh said while he may “have taken some slings and arrows over this issue,” he had no regrets “over not waging a public fight” on the child-support matter. He said it was the “right thing” to do for his children and the “fair thing to do to the mother of my kids.”
“Though there were plenty of days I wanted to scream my side of the story to the TV or newspapers, I always knew my name would be cleared,” said Walsh, who has a history of controversial verbal outbursts.
