Congressman Supported Ex-Wife's Abortions, Slept With Patients

Divorce transcripts pain unflattering picture of pre-lawmaker life

It just keeps getting worse for Rep. Scott DesJarlais. The Tennessee Republican physician-turned congressman has been under fire for months over claims he had sexual relationships with at least two patients, three coworkers and a drug representative while he was chief of staff at Grandview Medical Center.

Now the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports that according to the congressman's sworn testimony during his divorce trial, DesJarlais supported his ex-wife's decision to get two abortions before their marriage. The transcript corroborates accounts given to the Times Free Press in October by one of the patients who had a sexual relationship with DesJarlais.

The tawdry episodes took place about a decade before DesJarlais's 2010 election to Congress. And so far the revelations haven't hurt his political career. DesJarlais won re-election in 2012 with 56 percent of the vote.

Still, 11 years after his testimony, DesJarlais' official website states "all life should be cherished and protected." The physician-turned-politician has proven himself a reliable vote for anti-abortion legislation, scoring the National Right to Life's coveted 100 percent rating.

Via the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

Do these revelations undermine the congressman's claims to be a traditional values conservative?

[Fishbone345]

It makes him a hypocrite and a poor physician. Which is likely why he ran for office instead of staying in Medicine. Humans seek out their own kind.

[PNWest]

And republicans seek their own kind. This guy is a poster boy for today's GOP. It is good to keep a few of them around to remind America what the GOP is all about.

[Tralee]

@PNWest This may be the most slanderous and vile remarks made on this site. Really? This piece of slime is the poster boy for ME? You guys and your silly faux outrage about anything conservative are ludicrous. Blanket statements like yours make anything you say totally irrelevant. Why are liberals always so angry and vile?

[PNWest]

@Tralee I have no outrage about this faux or otherwise. I didn't want the guy to win. He's one of yours - The R after his name stands for Republican. Your party put him up and Akin and Mourdock and Santorum and Bachmann and Palin...... And I am neither angry nor vile. Hopefully you see the irony in your last two sentences where you put me down for blanket statements and the follow it by asking why liberals are ALWAYS so angry and vile. Pot meet kettle. If I lived in your part of the world I'd probably head down to Longwood Gardens and see if they have the Christmas stuff up yet. Longwood Gardens is one of my favorite places. Check it out if you haven't already.

[MongoAPillager]

@PNWest oh sure,then you'll have him busted for stalking,you wascaly wabbit

[WilliamWallace]

@PNWest He is a prime example of a democrat that wishes he could be a Republican.

[MongoAPillager]

nope,he just needs to change party affiliations and everything will make sense

[Tralee]

Too right! Actions like this for a Democrat are a resume enhancement. See Teddy Kennedy for that, he was so sleezy, as were his brothers, that he got elevated to "The Lion of the Senate"!

[MongoAPillager]

@Tralee lying of the Senate

[PNWest]

@Tralee Teddy was a true sleazeball. In his latter years he did a lot of good though.

[Keyjo]

"nope,he just needs to change party affiliations and everything will make sense"
No, no, no, Baby! You bought him, you own him. It might be acceptable for Republicans to throw one of their own under the bus at the first sign of smoke, but don't try to leave him on some innocent progressive's door step.

[MongoAPillager]

@Keyjo innocent progressive,is there such an animal,every family has their black sheep i guess

[MongoAPillager]

this ain't your daddy's GOP for sure

[MRMacrum]

No. But he sure seems to be a member of your daddy's Tea Party

[AceLuby]

He's a hypocrite, which is common for most 'traditional values' people.

[Tralee]

Really? I have traditional values as do my entire family and I take great offense at your statement. Surely you didn't mean to insult more than half the people on this site, or in the usual angry liberal way did you?

[AceLuby]

@Tralee You should take that up w/ the hypocrites then, not w/ the observer. If you are not one you should be offended by them, not by me.

[PNWest]

@Tralee Would it surprise you to know that most liberals have what you call traditional values. We have husbands and wives and love our kids and work hard and want a better life for them. We pay our taxes and worry about the economy and war and the same things that you do. We just think that the democrats are far better qualified to run the country than the loons of the GOP.

[DARSB]

Maybe he could get together with Todd Akin & Richard Mourdock & start a Republicans Who Will Never Get Laid Again Club...

[DerivePI]

Didn't you guys already run this one?

[martydotcom]

I would assume in addition to his 100% RTL rating, NRA would be the same. I'm sure he's signed up with Grover sounds like a great choice for a state consistently ranking in the bottom in education, health care and near the top in obesity and hypocrisy

[Sonny]

"Well here we go again...." Yet another "holier-than-thou".. ."republican"...has been elected to office..Just another guy, who will preach down to us---about our "moral character" and then try to pass his personal views along to the rest of us in the form of more republican extreme freedom-stealing laws....Like, abortion, like healthcare....And this guy, like so many other republicans can not even live up to his own professional rules of decorum---he has to sleep with his patients...support ex wife's abortions---(plural) and then, now watch this...he will turn around and try to tell us how we should be living our lives...Unbelievable.

[Catty]

Have you ever noticed how many Republican physicians go into politics? Just wondering. The abortions were ultimately decisions made by the wife, but if he supported her choices, wouldn't that prevent him from running as a Republican; that (anti-choice) being a permanent plank in their party platform? What about his slutty, whore (Republican terminology for women) patients and co-workers whom he slept with? Would he deny them contraception through their insurance (or Obamacare) in his role as Congressman? Sonny, I do not think this guy's lifestyle is unbelievable. It sounds all too familiar...just plain old Republican hypocrisy.

[Sonny]

@Catty I absolutely agree with you 100%...And--- it really makes me mad, that these people look down their noses at---everybody who is not one of them...(which, at this point) is most of America....

[Tralee]

@Catty He'd make a great Democrat though. And I am sick and tired of you and your ilk saying that all republicans are anti-choice. The vast majority could care less if you and your ilk abort each and every child you conceive. We just don't care. But, I am sick and tired of this tired old inflammatory rhetoric from all of you. Geeze, do you get booklets with the set insults you are to heap on each and every conservative in the world? Really, do all of you paint with such a broad brush? Should I also say that Teddy murdering his pregnant mistress is just like all of you and that each and every democrat husband is a serial cheater on his wife? Or do all of you just sleep around without a thought?

[Tralee]

@Sonny ROTFLMAO on this one, who's looking down their collective noses at everyone who is not one if them? Dems. Progressives. Just look at the posts you and your ilk have posted here. There you and your fellow progressives are, up on your high and mighty mountain just ready to paint half the country with each and every slander the DNC feeds you. God, no wonder progressives are so ugly, their personalities show on their faces.

[FenceSitter K]

Thanks for your comments everyone. Before things get too heated in here, I want to remind everyone to keep our Engagement Etiquette in mind when posting.

http://politix.topix.com/about/community

- FenceSitter

[woodtick57]

Somebody slept with that?

[Angela]

They saw dollar sings and dinner.💵💰

[DapperDave]

The bar was dark, the hour was late and the lady was drunk. What other explanation can there possibly be for ANY woman willingly sleeping with that gargoyle?

[jamie91]

Another Santorum. Abortion is only okay when they say it is. Every other time, no, it us not YOUR choice. As for who he slept with... Who really cares so long as they were consenting adults.

[woodtick57]

They don't want the gov't invovled with their lives and bodies....they want the gov't involved in other peoples' lives and bodies...

[kirbstomp1]

Shocking. A hypocrite. Didn't think we had any of these in Congress. What a tool.

[PoliticalSpice]

Typical, Repubs are such hypocrites, reminds me of Vitnor and Craige. At least he's not a pedophile like the GOP congressman from Florida who left in disgrace...

[blue_yahoo]

You guys do understand that some registered Republicans and some Independents are social liberals and only fiscal conservatives don't you???

[Catty]

I used to think that but have seen no indication that such beings exist today. If they did, surely they would speak out against indefensible Republican policies on both the social and fiscal fronts.

[blue_yahoo]

@Catty Maybe the rose colored glasses are distorting your view.

[ThomasAJones]

The Republican is your typical hypocrites. Ask to see his federal Internal Revenue Service Income Tax Returns. The man is a lying scumbag.

[Angela]

Sometimes people can be complete idiots with their on lives but, say what you will or may can be human enough took look pass their imperfections.

[Angela]

I'm a loss of words for this joker read to fast earlier.

[jessejaymes]

Kind of makes you wonder how the Bible Belt Republicans can continue to claim they are the party of morality and piousness doesn't it?

[jessejaymes]

Doesn't this guy look more like a Mafiosi than a doctor?

[WasteWater]

Typical hypocritical Republican.

[Rogue]

Actually, he needs to be drummed out of Congress on a moral ethics charge.

[RobertJHarsh]

Him and 533 others as well. Ron Paul is already leaving. I hope when I grow up someone will buy and sell my sorry rear end, bring me lots metal suitcases full of money and fund my elections. Two or three hotties, preferably Israelis, would be nice on the side as well. They'll rat me out to the feds and Mossad but I'll need at least 3. That way I can keep running in circles, trying to figure out what I am really up to...which will mostly be surfing youtube videos. Ahhhh....to be a Congressman...