Posted on 10/28/2012 10:12:40 AM PDT by SmithL
On the heels of a sex scandal involving a female patient, another woman has acknowledged having a sexual relationship with physician and U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais while she was under his medical care.
The second woman described DesJarlais as "the nicest guy" and said he cooked dinner for her at their first get-together in 2000.
But she also said they smoked marijuana during their relationship and remembered DesJarlais prescribing her pain medication on dates at his home.
"His biggest thing that's completely unethical is him just picking up women while he's a doctor," the woman said in an interview last week. "I mean, seriously, that's his big no-no. ... He's just a hound."
The woman said the affair lasted six months and included mutual illicit drug use.
"Scott was just a regular guy," she said. "He smoked. I mean, he smoked pot. He [did] all that stuff."
The woman's remarks about marijuana use could not be independently verified.
DesJarlais is a Republican seeking re-election in the 4th District. In a prepared statement Saturday, his campaign did not dispute any specific allegations by the woman, instead condemning "personal smear campaigns that hurt families" and "have no place in politics."
"This is not a credible story, and it seems that the Chattanooga Times Free Press has no interest in informing their readers about real issues facing Tennesseans but would rather focus solely on a 14-year-old divorce," campaign manager Brandon Lewis said.
The woman lives in a 4th District county close to the Chattanooga area. The Times Free Press granted her anonymity but checked her driver's license and verified her identity in DesJarlais' divorce papers -- her name is included in his ex-wife's extensive list of "potential witnesses." Court records and a family friend confirm that the woman and DesJarlais had an affair.
The newspaper's exclusive adds a second voice to a storyline that has complicated DesJarlais' bid for re-election against Democrat Eric Stewart. The ex-girlfriend's recollections come nine days before the general election and three weeks after The Huffington Post reported that the anti-abortion congressman and Jasper physician had an affair with a patient and pressured her to get an abortion.
That bombshell put what seemed like a sure Republican seat into contention. A liberal "super PAC" poured $100,000 into an attack ad against DesJarlais, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee vowed to help Stewart in what quickly became one of 55 "red to blue" districts Democrats think they can win.
On Saturday, Stewart campaign manager Kevin Teets said the woman's account would continue to bolster his boss, who for the first time eclipsed DesJarlais in the most recent fundraising period.
"It's clear from this further revelation that Scott DesJarlais has many issues. We hope he's able to get the help he so clearly needs," Teets said. "However, the people of the 4th District deserve a congressman like Eric, ready to roll up his sleeves and get to work tackling the many issues facing our country."
In her words
Now in her 40s, the woman said she met DesJarlais as a patient in the mid-1990s and began dating him about five years later in the midst of his divorce.
She said DesJarlais' early attempts at romance were "bizarre." She recalled feeling strange about a general practitioner who encouraged her to call him at home. Eventually he phoned her and invited her over.
"He was the nicest guy -- made dinner, supernice, tried to razzle-dazzle you with his conversation," she said. "I don't know exactly how it started, but I mean, when it did, he just kept on and kept on."
Some dates occurred at the physician's home, and other times they went out, the woman said. She remembered going by DesJarlais' medical office to talk but recalled no romantic encounters there.
The woman said she kept DesJarlais as her doctor for some time after the affair. But after he kept trying to rekindle their relationship in settings outside his office, she said she eventually sought a different doctor.
Grounds for complaint
Sexual contact that occurs within the patient-physician relationship "constitutes sexual misconduct," according to the American Medical Association's code of ethics. At least five Tennessee physicians have been disciplined since 2005 for having consensual sexual relationships with patients, state records show.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a watchdog group, filed an ethics complaint against DesJarlais after the abortion story emerged, but no action has been taken by the state.
In court filings, DesJarlais acknowledged having four extramarital affairs. He has acknowledged the accuracy of a transcript of a recorded conversation he had with an unnamed patient in which he pressed her to get an abortion.
He said he knew the woman wasn't pregnant and used "strong language" to get her to admit it.
“DesJarLais” — is that French for “the sense that you’ve already gotten laid”?
As opposed to the Democrap running against him who is as clean as the driven snow...
Could not find one thing wrong with him, I bet.
the late in the campaign timing is suspicious, but if 1/4 of this is true then no decent conservative can support a hypocritical dirtbag like this
Any of these allegations against a DemonRat are considered qualifications and merit badges for office.
Gunner
Happened a dozen years or more ago during his divorce. A Republican Jaywalks, unacceptable for office. A Democrat commits felonies, not a story.
Dr. D has made a point of not running a personal attack campaign against Stewart, preferring to run on the issues. That’s what he did when Lincoln Davis pulled this crap in 2010 and Dr. D went on to soundly beat Davis for the seat.
It hasn’t worked this time. Stewart has run a filthy campaign while he has PLENTY of dirt on him.
His record sucks so it wouldn’t do any good for him to try to run on it. Instead, he’s gone out of his way to destroy not only another’s political life but his personal life as well.
Dr. D did bring up some of Stewart’s financial shenanigans regarding not paying taxes and such. I just wish he’d brought up the Cotton State Insurance deal.
I don’t want a crook like Stewart representing me and the rest of us in the 4th District. Maybe Dr. D did some stupid things in his past (who hasn’t?????) but he’s done a fine job as a Congressman the past two years.
The only creep in the 4th is Eric Stewart, an Obamaite Socialist.
Eric Stewart has always had nasty campaigns whenever he's run for office. He's one of the nastiest politicians I've run across. He and Obamarx are two peas in a pod.
Even by some off chance Stewart wins on the face of these disgusting attacks, he’ll be a one-term backbencher in the minority party in that heavily GOP district. Less than useless. The TN Democrat Party is dead and it’s time to drive the final nail into the coffin.
This district is a weird one. Up until 2010, we’d go “R” for President and “D” for everything else (not ME but the district as a whole). Dr. D’s the first Pubbie representative this district has sent to DC in a looooooong time.
It disgusts me to see Romney signs in front yards with Stewart signs next to them but they’re out there.
I’ve dealt with Stewart as our State Senator long enough. I sure would like to have him out of the political picture once and for all.
Fingers crossed for luck!
One of the last remnants of rural Democrat dominance. It had been the district of Cordell Hull, Joe L. Evins, Al Gore (both father and son) and Jim Cooper (before he carpetbagged it over to my district here in Nashville). The GOP didn’t elect a Republican from 1920 (when Hull was knocked out for a single term) until Van Hilleary in 1994. Had Hilleary not left in 2002, it’s unlikely the Dems would’ve gotten it back.
Lincoln Davis had an input in getting the seat partly redrawn for him and Janice Bowling was underfunded. Davis fooled a lot of folks, pretending to be Conservative at home and voting liberal in DC (a time honored Democrat practice, from Al Gore to Jim Sasser, et al), until folks figured out he was full of crap and finally tossed him in 2010.
As I said, even if Stewart manages an upset, his first vote will be for Nancy Pelosi for Speaker. Something the DesJarlais campaign should remind everyone, and why all the dirt is being thrown at him... to aide the Zero-Reid-Pelosi Radical Marxist agenda, and Stewart is the guy to carry their water.
Dr. D sent out an email today telling folks Pelousy’s “out-of-state SuperPAC is coming in to flood YOUR airwaves all the way from California.”
We already know a lot of his campaign funding has come from out-of-state corporations and PACs. I guess he figures what’s a little more from Pelousy? *spit* My money says Lincoln Davis is behind connecting those two. He’s definitely behind this horrid smear campaign.
Dr. D keeps reminding voters, with his ads, about Stewart’s support of ObamaCare and Obama’s agenda. I don’t know if it will be enough or not. I hope so. I worry about Rutherford Co. being in our district now. A lotta libs in Murfreesboro. And Pubs and Indies there don’t know about Stewart’s history of corruption.
A lot of us are on pins and needles.
I’m a short distance from Rutherford County (SE Davidson). It’s pretty Republican now. Bart Gordon, who hailed from there, didn’t even want to risk losing in 2010 despite the seat being drawn specifically for him, and retired 2 years early. That’s why Stewart has some major-league demographics against him. Well, we’ll know for sure in a week.
It’s been a while since I lived in the ‘Boro. Glad to hear it’s not as liberal as it was. Gives me a little more hope.
I’m going to the county GOP’s election night party and hope to do a lot of celebrating that night. Dr. D is supposed to be there and if he wins, I’ll even take a sip of champagne in celebration - - and I don’t drink! LOL!
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