Backing off his office’s earlier statements, Rep. Vance McAllister (R-LA) has decided against asking for an FBI investigation into the leak of a video showing him kissing a female member of his staff.
“Congressman McAllister’s office will not pursue an FBI investigation at this time regarding the distribution of a video filmed in leased federal office space,” the freshman Republican’s office said in a statement obtained by TPM. “Congressman McAllister is focused on earning back the trust of those he has disappointed, and he reiterates his request for privacy for his family during this difficult period.”
On Tuesday, McAllister’s office told The Monroe News-Star that the congressman planned to send a letter to House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) requesting an FBI investigation into the matter. Earlier Wednesday, a spokesperson for McAllister told TPM that the leak of the video “is something that warrants an investigation, but how we go about doing that is yet to be determined.”
The video, which was taken by a surveillance camera in December at McAllister’s office in Monroe, La., showed McAllister kissing Melissa Peacock, his now-former district scheduler. The video was first published online Monday by a small Louisiana newspaper. On Tuesday, a local pastor came forward and accused another McAllister staff member, Leah Gordon, of leaking the video. Gordon, who works as the district office manager for McAllister in Monroe, has denied the accusation, according to The News-Star.
