Wes Goodman, the anti-LGBT, devout Christian and rising Republican star resigned from his job as Republican state legislature for Ohio after he was caught having sex with a man in his office earlier this autumn.
The other man involved was not employed by the legislature. An observer told Ohio Chief of Staff Mike Dittoe of the incident, who then told Republican Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberg. Rosenberg then met with Goodman and they agreed that the best option would be for Goodman to step down.
Wes Goodman’s Twitter account has been made private following this reveal. His bio previously read, “Christian. American. Conservative. Republican. Husband to @Beth1027.” His wife Beth is also known for her strongly Conservative beliefs. She is the Assistant Director of the annual anti-abortion rally, March for Life.
Goodman, who tirelessly advocated for “family values,” was put in the Human Rights Campaign’s Hall of Shame for seeking to block marriage equality in the District of Columbia. He had previously worked for Republican U.S. Representative Jim Jordan and was only elected to represent the 87th district last year. Goodman responded to the public humiliation with this statement:
We all bring our own struggles and our own trials into public life. That has been true for me, and I sincerely regret that my actions and choices have kept me from serving my constituents and our state in a way that reflects the best ideals of public service. For those whom I have let down, I’m sorry. As I move onto the next chapter in my life, I sincerely ask for privacy for myself, my family, and friends.
But he has, in fact, had his share of privacy in the past.
Johnny Hadlock, a former staffer for another Republican Congressman, told cleveland.com that he and Goodman began to exchange text messages after Hadlock told Goodman that he was a closeted gay man. Their conversations consisted of gay banter, sexting and phone sex, Hadlock said. They last spoke in 2014.
Hadlock said he was never sexually harassed by Goodman, but others have had different experiences. A story published by the Washington Post reports that Goodman was accused of inviting a young boy, the son of a Conservative donor, into a Ritz Carlton hotel. The teenager awoke in the middle of the night to see Goodman unzipping his pants. He ran out in a panic at around 4 a.m.
Cleveland.com was also told that Goodman targeted young men who wanted to have him as a mentor and would not report his predatory behavior because they were afraid it would put their own careers at risk.
Another former GOP Congressional Staffer, Chris Donnelly, told cleveland.com that Goodman responded to a Craigslist posted in 2008 searching for men who were interested in sexual relations with other men, and the two had sex. The response shown was under the name “Brad Murphey” who referred to himself as “straight/curious.” It read, “Maybe we can hang and see what’s up, no expectations really. But your post seemed cool so let me know bro.”
Donnelly said that Goodman was obsessed with Craigslist and responded to many ads posted by Donnelly and other gay men. It became a running joke between him and his gay friends. Donnelly said he last saw Goodman at a 2009 event supporting Jordan’s D.C. Defense of Marriage Act, which would have overturned a local law allowing recognition of gay marriages.
Hadlock said that Goodman does not deserve the privacy he believes he is entitled to, but he hopes the situation brings him some relief.
