A spokesperson had to clarify that Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) misspoke when he said that NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning don’t sexually assault people who aren’t their wives.
Cohen made the comments in an interview with TMZ, and The Tennessean also picked it up. TMZ asked a question about allegations of sexual assault made against Tennessee Titans’ Sammie Hill.
“I don’t keep up with football, except college football, except Eli Manning or Peyton Manning. And Eli and Peyton don’t do sexual assaults against people other than their wives,” Cohen said during his rather perplexing response.
A spokesman for Cohen told The Tennessean that the congressman misspoke.
“Congressman Cohen misspoke, abhors sexual violence of any kind, is a fan of both Manning brothers, and deeply regrets any confusion,” spokesman Ben Garmisa told The Tennessean. “His intention was simply to indicate that Eli and Peyton are committed to monogamous marriages.”
TPM has previously flagged other eyebrow raising comments from Cohen such as when he said Republicans were lying about health care reform in the same way that Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels in Nazi Germany and once claimed he was an “honorary” black person.
