Vance McAllister Video, Congress & Staff: Louisiana Congressman Will Not Resign Despite Scandal [WATCH]
The past couple of days have proven to be contentious for one Republican congressman. Following in the footsteps of various legislators caught being disloyal to their spouses and families, Representative McAllister has not found any allies after the news broke and has been pushed to resign.
Earlier this week the Ouachita Citizen released a surveillance video from Dec. 23 that showed the freshman Republican congressman kissing a congressional staffer. Vance McAllister joined the House of Representative after a special election in 2013 and defeated the favored candidate, according to Politico. During his campaign, McAllister showcased his Christian faith and his family, showing himself as an example of traditional family values.
However, it is his political campaign that has put the congressman in hot water. The video shows McAllister with staffer Melissa Peacock, who is married herself. McAllister and his wife have been married for 16 years and have five children.
Many in the Louisiana Republican Party have called on McAllister to resign because of his hypocrisy. Both the state's Republican governor and the head of the state's Republican Party have criticized McAllister and called on him to leave, according to the Times-Picayune.
"Congressman McAllister's behavior is an embarrassment and he should resign. He says he wants privacy to work on his issues with his family. The best way to get privacy and work on putting his family back together is to resign from Congress," said Republican Governor Bobby Jindal. Roger Villere Jr., chairman of the Louisiana Republican party, agreed with Governor Jindal.
"Mr. McAllister's extreme hypocrisy is an example of why ordinary people are fed up with politics. A breach of trust of this magnitude can only be rectified by an immediate resignation. He has embarrassed our party, our state and the institution of Congress," said Villere, according to Politico.
However, despite these vehement calls for his resignation, the AP reports that McAllister will not be resigning any time soon. In a statement from the congressman's office, a spokesperson said that McAllister has no plans to resign but he is also not focusing on the upcoming election, rather on his family.
To watch the video of the incident caught on surveillance footage, check out the video below from ABC News.