Congressman Caught Kissing Staffer, Says He's 'Always Tried to Be an Honest Man'

A freshman congressman has admitted “falling short” after a grainy video showed him kissing a staffer in his home district.

The video published by The Ouachita Citizen in West Monroe, La., showed Rep. Vance McAllister (R-La.), a married father of five, kissing his scheduler, also married.

“There’s no doubt I’ve fallen short and I’m asking for forgiveness,” McAllister said in a statement. “I’m asking for forgiveness from God, my wife, my kids, my staff, and my constituents who elected me to serve. Trust is something I know has to be earned whether your [sic] a husband, a father, or a congressman. I promise to do everything I can to earn back the trust of everyone I’ve disappointed.”

“From day one, I’ve always tried to be an honest man. I ran for congress [sic] to make a difference and not to just be another politician. I don’t want to make a political statement on this, I would just simply like to say that I’m very sorry for what I’ve done,” he continued. “While I realize I serve the public, I would appreciate the privacy given to my children as we get through this.”

McAllister, a local businessman who was endorsed by Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson, defeated State Sen. Neil Riser, seen by many as the establishment favorite, in a November special election. His campaign commercials included one asking voters to pray for him and another getting ready for church with his family.

There’s been no public reaction yet from House leadership, but when Rep. John Souder (R-Ind.) had an affair with a district staffer in 2010 Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) asked him to resign. Souder did.

The West Monroe newspaper said the video came from an anonymous source. The staffer has reportedly been removed from his payroll.