Former Senator Heidi Heitkamp says Rep. Rosendale got his 20y/o staff member pregnant

[Blue3]

Oh, the Capitol drama is finally starting to leak and ooze out into the public, trickle by trickle (down).

Link


The office of Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) on Monday threatened to sue former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) for defamation after claiming that Rosendale ended his Senate bid because he got a member of his staff pregnant.

“Just to gossip a little bit, there’s a reason why Rosendale backed out of that Senate race,” Heitkamp said during an interview on the “Talking Feds with Harry Litman” podcast released on Monday. “The rumor is that he impregnated a 20-year-old staff person.”

Rosendale’s office promptly threatened legal action against the former senator.

“This is 100% false and defamatory and former Senator Heitkamp will be hearing from our lawyers soon,” Ron Kovach, a spokesperson for Rosendale, said in an email statement.

Heitkamp also suggested during the podcast interview that Rosendale might soon step down from his House seat.

“I think [the Republican] caucus might lose a member in the next couple days,” she said. “Might be the congressman from Montana.”

Rosendale ended his campaign for the Senate on Feb. 15, just six days after he launched it, citing former President Donald Trump’s decision to endorse GOP hopeful Tim Sheehy in the race.

[SnowLabrador]

Citation needed. Heitkamp doesn't provide any evidence that this happened. As much as I dislike Rosendale, I have to assume he's innocent until proven guilty about this.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

If this were stated by, say, Claire McCaskill, I’d dismiss it. But Heitkamp is more responsible than Claire so I’m willing to consider the rumor.

[Progressive Pessimist]

I wouldn't be surprised by it.

Ew, by the way.

[Roll Roons]

Yeah, I'm not a fan of Rosendale at all but I'd like to see someone else corroborate this.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Where's Maury Povich when you need him?

[DrScholl]

What reason would she have to lie? He's totally irrelevant to her and it will be hard for him to win a lawsuit because defamation cases are nearly impossible to win. He'd have to prove this damaged him financially and that's not the case.

[Santander]

Where's Maury Povich when you need him?

This is not even 1/10th scandalous enough to get on Maury.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Where's Maury Povich when you need him?

This is not even 1/10th scandalous enough to get on Maury.

It'll work on a slow day.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Where's Maury Povich when you need him?

This is not even 1/10th scandalous enough to get on Maury.

WHATEVA I DO WHAT I WANT

[Vice President Christian Man]

I haven't taken Heitkamp seriously ever since she called Gina Carano a Nazi.

[dead0man]

if she knows it's true, why call it a "rumour"?  if she doesn't know it's true, why is she talking about in public?

[GP270watch]

 If you see no actual filing, you know what it is.

[Ferguson97]

Heitkamp doesn't really seem like the type of person to repeat something like this unless she was fairly confident it was true.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

if she knows it's true, why call it a "rumour"?  if she doesn't know it's true, why is she talking about in public?

There is certain value in speaking through innuendo for someone like Heitkamp.

[Progressive Pessimist]

I haven't taken Heitkamp seriously ever since she called Gina Carano a Nazi.

That's more of a reason to take her seriously for me.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Heitkamp doesn't really seem like the type of person to repeat something like this unless she was fairly confident it was true.

Exactly. Like I said, Heitkamp is a pretty responsible person as far as I've seen so far. She's not some drunken big mouthed fool like Claire McCaskill.

[Nutmeg]

Strong Streisand Effect by Rosendale here.

[SuzerainOfSwat]

Let’s see what this alleged staff member looked like and I’ll pass judgement on Rosendale.

[brucejoel99]

well, that seems like that, then:

https://twitter.com/MattForMontana/status/1766158297374011767

[Fuzzy Bear]

I note several things:

1.  The staffer, herself, has not come forward.

2.  However creepy it sounds, there were no laws broken.  There is no rape allegation, and the young woman is not underage.  Nor is there any allegation of Sexual Harassment or creating a Hostile Work Environment.

3.  Biblically, there is nothing more immoral alleged here than in any number of activities folks here are fine with all day long.

4.  Morally, this is no less "hypocritical" of Rosendale than any number of acts, sexual and non-sexual, by any number of pols.

5.  If he were not attempting to run against a vulnerable Democratic Senate incumbent in a year where a flip could result in control of the Senate, this would likely never have been mentioned, regardless if it's true or false.  The timing of this should be viewed as suspect on its face.

6.  The Death Threat against Rosendale is unacceptable.  If a Death Threat were made against a Squad Member it would generate a whole thread here, yet no one appears upset that Rosendale allegedly received a death threat.

7.  What public interest is served by Heitkamp disclosing this on a Podcast?  If there were a crime committed, shouldn't she go straight to Law Enforcement?

No one here would want to be done this way, especially if this were untrue.  And it could well be true; adulterous pols are baked into the cake in our polity.  But this sort of thing is unfair, and it's especially unfair to Rosendale's family.  There's a right way and a wrong way to go about this.  People who think Heitkamp is OK for doing this ought to apologize for any trashing of Linda Tripp they may have done in the past.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

It seems strange to me that a Congressman would even have a 20-year old staff member.
Unless they are interns or pages, shouldn’t Congressional staff have college degrees, or at least be old enough to have one?

[South Dakota Democrat]

It seems strange to me that a Congressman would even have a 20-year old staff member.
Unless they are interns or pages, shouldn’t Congressional staff have college degrees, or at least be old enough to have one?

I thought it was an intern.

[Fuzzy Bear]

It seems strange to me that a Congressman would even have a 20-year old staff member.
Unless they are interns or pages, shouldn’t Congressional staff have college degrees, or at least be old enough to have one?

I thought it was an intern.

An intern is staff, for all practical purposes.

[South Dakota Democrat]

It seems strange to me that a Congressman would even have a 20-year old staff member.
Unless they are interns or pages, shouldn’t Congressional staff have college degrees, or at least be old enough to have one?

I thought it was an intern.

An intern is staff, for all practical purposes.

Sure.  Was just addressing the post that it would be unusual to have someone without a college degree as a staff member.  Would not be unusual if they were an intern.